Thor: Love and Thunder Robbed Us of a Great MCU Queer Couple
Where's Valkyrie's queen in Love and Thunder?
Thor: Love and Thunder received its fair share of criticism: for a dull antagonist, for unnecessary gags, etc. Now it looks like there is yet another reason to be disappointed in the movie, — the love story that never was — between Valkyrie and Lady Sif.
Before the movie hit the big screen, Tessa Thompson (who plays Valkyrie) hinted that her character would be on a quest to find her queen. But the film didn't even touch that subplot.
Tessa Thompson came out in 2018 as bisexual, and fans were eagerly expecting her queer MCU character to engage in a romantic relationship, suggesting different Marvel heroines for the role of Valkyrie’s love interest.
In 2019, Tessa Thompson touched upon the subject at San Diego Comic-Con (via CinemaBlend), saying Valkyrie, as the new king of Asgard, "needs to find her queen." She even teased that she had some ideas about who that could be. And what did we get in Love and Thunder? Nada. Zilch. Zero.
The recently surfaced storyboards, shared on X by Thor Updates, show Valkyrie and Sif reuniting during the Battle of New Asgard. The original plan for these two badass women was to fall in love and rule New Asgard together. The information is also confirmed by the insider MyTimeToShineHello.
The film felt like it was bursting at the seams with plotlines, so maybe the filmmakers thought a Valkyrie-Sif romance would be too much? Maybe it’s true, but come on, who wouldn't want to see a love story unfold amidst the chaos of gods and monsters?
It could've made Valkyrie's character more relatable for many people and given Lady Sif more screen time. With rumors swirling about a potential Thor 5, we can only hope that Marvel will give this love story the attention it deserves.
Thor: Love and Thunder was a wild ride, but it could've been way more wilder. The movie somehow managed to disappoint fans in so many ways. As we think ahead to what's coming in the MCU, let’s not lose hope that they don't leave any more exciting storylines on the cutting room floor.
Sources: CinemaBlend, Thor Updates on X, MyTimeToShineHello on X