Thor: Love and Thunder explores heartbreak and loss in a mature way

Thor: Love and Thunder explores some really mature themes throughout its colorful adventure.

The fourth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s Thor franchise has a lot of emotion and resurfaced feelings tied with a signature Taika Waititi script and directing style.

In this movie, we see our heroic Thor fighting his mission — but Thor: Love and Thunder ultimately tells a story about learning to accept grief, love, and heartbreak.

*MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER AHEAD*

Thor coming to terms with loss in Thor: Love and Thunder

In the beginning of the movie, Thor is trying to honor those he’s lost in battle through fighting alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy. But battle after battle, things become more wash rinse repeat.

Once the gang find out about Gorr the Butcher coming after Gods across the universe, Thor sees his childhood friend Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander) in danger. It is in that moment that it clicks (again) for Thor that he is at risk for losing another person he cares about. If you think about it Thor has lost a lot compared to his MCU counterparts. He’s lost his Mother, his girlfriend Jane, his father Odin, his brother Loki (three times), Mjolnir, his eye, Asgard, and his friends in the fight with Thanos.

While thoughts race through his mind: he finds himself asking: What’s the point of loving [someone] if they’re just going to be taken away? In that, having recently lost the love of his life — Peter Quill essentially tells Thor that it’s better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all.

"“These hands were once used for battle. Now they’re but humble tools for peace. I need to figure out exactly who I am. I want to choose my own path, live in the moment.”  -Thor"

As the movie progresses, and Thor and Jane slightly revisit their past and in the midst of it all, admit that they still have feelings for one another, Thor mentions that he would rather have loved and lost than the opposite. And Jane? Well, Jane reveals her cancer diagnosis. It’s evident that Thor is worried for her—who wouldn’t be?

After she reveals the diagnosis and they go for the second to last battle with Gorr, Jane collapses. In her recovery at the hospital Thor begs her to stay behind and not fight and he finally, for the first time, admits he loves her.

Learning to accept losing those you love

In the final 15 minutes of the film, you really see all the themes of love tie together. As Jane passes away to Valhalla in Thor’s arms, we learn that love isn’t just the romance, but it’s the loss, the heartbreak, and the pain that comes with it.

We see Thor finally accept how to continue and honor those you love. So to choose love and hope over despair will always prevail in this sense, and it is why we have come to love the Thor we know today.

Did you appreciate how Thor: Love and Thunder highlighted the themes of love? Let us know in the comments below!