Love and Thunder

Thor 4 leaks: New photos bring back Ragnarok's best joke

There's a new Hela in town.

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Thor: Love and Thunder isn't even out yet, and it's already so much fun. Not that anyone should be surprised, given how returning writer-director Taika Waititi handled 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok.

Based on some recent behind-the-scenes looks at the film as well, it appears Waititi is doubling down on his zany approach to Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder. In fact, a new batch of set photos further confirms how wild things are about to get for Thor: Love and Thunder — thanks in no small part to a surprise cameo that’s even more delightful than you might think.

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Thor: Love and Thunder is filming right now in Australia, and some new set photos from the production reveal that none other than Melissa McCarthy will have a cameo role in the blockbuster Marvel sequel. And in an unexpected (but welcome) twist of fate, it looks as though McCarthy will appear in the film as someone very familiar...

Cate Blanchett in Thor: Ragnarok.

Marvel Studios

...Hela, the Goddess of Death.

At least, that's what it looks like. But a closer look at others on set suggests a different story: returning Ragnarok players Matt Damon and Luke Hemsworth, who previously played Asgardians actors cast in an in-universe play as "Loki" and "Thor," respectively. With that said, we can take the leap and peg McCarthy's character as an Asgardian actor playing Hela, likely recreating scenes from Thor: Ragnarok.

In December 2020, McCarthy made waves among Marvel fans when she and her husband Ben Falcone (who can be seen standing by McCarthy in the set photos) posted an online “audition” asking to be cast in Thor: Love and Thunder.

At the time, fans speculated that Taika Waititi and Marvel might just take them up on their request and cast them in the film — and it appears that’s exactly what has happened.

An Asgardian production.

Marvel Studios

The set photos drive home what fans had long hoped about Thor: Love and Thunder — namely, that it will feature an Asgardian play similar to the one seen in Thor: Ragnarok. (Indeed, even Sam Neill is spotted in the same set photos as McCarthy; he's dressed in the same clothes worn by Anthony Hopkins' Odin in his Ragnarok death scene.)

Add the confirmed and continuing Ragnarok-styled hijinks to the list of reasons why Love and Thunder is such an anticipated Marvel outing. It's one more thing fans have to look forward to when the next Chris Hemsworth superhero movie arrives — as if Thor's ‘80s rock star transformation wasn't enough to do the trick.

Thor: Love and Thunder will be released on May 6, 2022.

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