Thor: Love and Thunder ending explained: Is [SPOILER] really dead?

Thor: Love and Thunder has brought with it many questions but fans will undoubtedly want to know what the ending really means. Spoilers ahead.

Thor: Love and Thunder is finally here. One of the most anticipated movies of 2022, the Marvel Studios flick sees Chris Hemsworth return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the ninth time, bringing the God of Thunder back for his fourth solo film – a new record for the MCU heroes.

It also sees the return of Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, the film’s director Taika Waititi as Korg, and the long-awaited comeback of Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, who has now become Mighty Thor.

*** This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS from Thor: Love and Thunder ***

If you’ve seen the film, you will undoubtedly want some answers after the ending scene. On that note, let’s dive into what it all means for the MCU.

Thor: Love and Thunder ending explained

In the closing act of Thor: Love and Thunder, Gorr the God Butcher makes his way to Eternity to make his wish to destroy all gods a reality – but not before Thor and Jane injure him and destroy his demonic sword. With that, the Gods of Thunder plead for him to make his dying wish a good one instead and bring back the daughter, Love, he lost instead of killing the gods for her loss. Gorr agrees and has one final moment with his daughter before he dies.

As all of this happens, Jane Foster lays dying in Thor’s arms, with the power of Mjolnir rendering her incapable of fighting the cancer that has progressed rapidly. The two share a beautiful and heartbreaking moment before Jane dies and her body turns to golden dust – just as the Gods do.

After that, Thor takes Love in, being a father figure to her as the two go on adventures together known as Love and Thunder.

Meanwhile, Jane Foster arrives at Valhalla, welcomed by Heimdell.

Is Jane Foster really dead after Thor: Love and Thunder?

If you’re a comic book fan, you likely knew about Jane’s illness going into Thor: Love and Thunder. It’s a big part of the Mighty Thor’s arc in the comics and it also plays into her debut in the MCU. What wasn’t common knowledge was the character’s untimely death in the closing moments of the movie.

While Jane Foster did find her way to Valhalla, proving that she was worthy enough to be a God, it does seem like the character is officially dead in the MCU. We can take solace in the fact that this means living in paradise with her old friend Heimdell, but it does mean that she’ll be apart from her beloved Thor for some time.

The good news is that Valhalla is real in the MCU, so Thor and Jane could always reunite when the time comes for the former to find his eternal rest in Valhalla.

Here’s hoping that this is not the last of Natalie Portman in the MCU.

Were you a fan of Thor: Love and Thunder? What did you think of the film? Let us know in the comments below!