Thor: Love and Thunder Director Posts Photos From First Day of Filming

Production on Thor: Love and Thunder officially began today with series star Chris Hemsworth revealing the news earlier today. Now writer/director Taika Waititi has posted the same set of photos from the start of production, which began with a ceremony acknowledging the role of the First Nations of Australia which the filmmaker encouraged other movies shooting down under to also partake in. “Started Love & Thunder with Welcome to Country ceremony from Gamay dancers of Gadigal & Bidiagal Nation and karakia from Te Aranganui,” Waititi posted. “I encourage all film makers to engage with 1st nations peoples whenever shooting your films. It’s worth it and it’s the right thing to do.”

Hemsworth noted in his post that today’s date, January 26th aka Australia Day, is seen as only a grim reminder for the First Nations and not something to be celebrated. He wrote: “Indigenous Australians may be just as proud of this country, but many see January 26th as a date signifying the beginning of dispossession, disease epidemics, frontier violence, destruction of culture, exploitation, abuse, separation of families and subjection to policies of extreme social control. Let’s begin the healing and stand together in unity and support with our First Nations people with solidarity and compassion. Let’s find a date where all Australians can celebrate this beautiful country together.”

Hemsworth will reunite with his former co-star Natalie Portman who returns as Jane Foster, who will pick up the hammer and become The Mighty Thor (as seen in Jason Aaron’s run on the Marvel comic series) in the new movie.

“I just said to her, ‘Are you interested in coming back to this thing, but doing something really different?’” Waititi previously revealed. “Because another thing, no one wants to keep repeating themselves and no one wants to play the same characters all the time. And I think for her, just coming back reprising that character but in this whole fresh new way, is really what I think would interest anyone. Especially, in most of these films, if you’re not a superhero… do you really want to keep doing that? I mean, I wouldn’t. I would want to come back and change things up.”

Portman and Hemsworth are joined by Tessa Thompson will also reprise her Thor: Ragnarok role of Valkyrie, plus Chris Pratt as Star-Lord of Guardians of the Galaxy, with other members of the group expected to appear as well including Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, and Karen Gillan as Nebula. Christian Bale will appear as the villain in the film, taking on the role of Gorr the God Butcher.

Thor: Love and Thunder is scheduled to hit theaters on May 6, 2022.