Natalie Portman teases Thor: Love and Thunder is ‘so gay’
Thor director Taika Waititi adds it is “insane” that queer characters on-screen still aren’t normalised
Words: Emily Maskell; pictures: Disney
Ahead of the release of Thor: Love and Thunder, the film’s director and stars have addressed the LGBTQ+ representation in the upcoming Marvel movie.
In a Daily Telegraph Sydney interview, director Taika Waititi said of being inclusive on screen: “It’s 2022 and we’re still having this conversation, it’s insane.”
@dailytelegraph About time! 👏 #thor #thorloveandthunder #queer #representation #taikawaititi #chrishemsworth ♬ original sound – The Daily Telegraph
“To think people will go to a movie and go ‘did you see those two women kissing’… it’s insane [that] people still want to talk about that. Why is it not normalised?” the New Zealand filmmaker continued.
“The good thing about [diverse representation] in these films, it’s mainstream movies where we get to see this and it’s normalised,” Waititi also adds. “I think that’s what’s cool. Way more people are going to see that and begin to understand it’s fine.”
A TikTok from a screening of the soon-to-be-released film – for which Waititi, Natalie Portman, and Tessa Thompson were present – captures a person in the crowd asking how gay the new Thor movie is.
Natalie Portman responded “so gay,” with Waititi following up: “super gay!”
@zachaniff #fyp #foryoupage #thorloveandthunder #marvel #gay #lgbt #natalieportman ♬ original sound – zachaniff
With Chris Hemsworth as the eponymous Thor, Thor: Love and Thunder follows the events of Avengers: Endgame and is a direct sequel to Thor: Ragnarok.
Thor’s search for inner peace is interrupted as he recruits Valkyrie (Thompson), Korg (Waititi), and Jane Foster (Portman) and returns to action.
Thor: Love and Thunder currently holds a 71 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
While Waititi may be happy and willing to feature LGBTQ+ narratives in his Marvel endeavour, the studio has previously ruled out examinations of LGBTQ+ sexuality for the likes of America Chavez in Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Tessa Thompson, who is bisexual and has previously said she plays her Thor character, Valkyrie, as bisexual tempered fans expectations for Love and Thunder recently.
She said Valkyrie’s sexuality wouldn’t get a lot of development but she was happy with what is done.
She added: “It becomes the only storyline, particularly in a movie like this where you don’t, frankly, have a lot of room for storyline.”
Thor: Love and Thunder is in UK cinemas on 7 July.
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