Spoiler Warning: Thor: Love and Thunder

Taika Waititi is one of the more prolific directors as of late. Jojo Rabbit and Thor: Ragnarok were both met with critical acclaim, with the latter often being heralded as one of the best MCU movies. However, with the 2022 release of Waititi’s latest MCU installment, Thor: Love and Thunder, fans have become divided on the quality of the film. The harshest fan responses seem to drag its name into the mud, calling it unwatchable, while the more lenient reviews call for it to be watched through an uncritical lens to appreciate it fully. Regardless of what audiences and critics say, it’s at least clear that this movie was not as well received as Thor: Ragnarok.

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But in the name of not focusing entirely on what there is to criticize about the film, we’re going to be zeroing in on the truly special thing about Love and Thunder: Its criminally underused villain, Gorr the God Butcher. The word “underused” here is not to suggest he wasn’t in action enough or that he wasn’t on-screen enough, but rather that his hatred of the gods of the universe, his entire motivation, is swept under the rug, despite his grievances being valid. So, here is why future MCU installments should try and address Gorr’s serious theological concerns.

Gorr Wasn’t Wrong

     Marvel Studios

When we first meet Gorr at the beginning of the film, he’s dying of what is either malnutrition or overexposure. He’s just lost his daughter, and he trudges along until he finds an oasis. After eating and drinking his fill, he’s met face-to-face with his god. While Gorr believes that his god has come to deliver him from suffering, the deity just laughs at this and derides Gorr, being completely indifferent to him and the suffering of his species. Angry and hurt, finding out that he, nor anyone, has ever mattered to his god, Gorr takes up the Necrosword and kills the deity. While corrupted by the sword, Gorr embarks on a crusade to kill all the universe’s gods, the titular Thor included.

What’s interesting is how quickly the two heroes of the film, Thor and Jane Foster, are to disregard Gorr’s complaints. Gorr is a villain, and kidnapping innocent children is not something a completely justified person does, but they act as if he didn’t have anything to prove. There is an argument to be made about what Jane and Thor knew, as they were unaware of Gorr’s whole story. They only saw that he was an evil-looking man who took innocent Asgardians. But the whole issue becomes a lot more muddled when you consider Zeus.

Thor goes to meet Zeus, his idol and someone whose power he trusts unconditionally, to help find Gorr and free the children. At this point, it becomes clear that Gorr is hunting gods; however, Zeus chooses not to fight back, as he is not interested in helping his fellow gods. Even when confronted with a prime example of the kind of behavior Gorr despises in the gods, Thor is still determined to kill Gorr. But doesn’t Zeus prove Gorr’s point?

How else should a mortal reconcile the cold, unfeeling cosmos with their own tribulations? When it would be so easy for the gods to help them, why should mortals forgive the gods for their inaction? Thor: Love and Thunder fails to seriously answer these questions but will hopefully confront the profound existential complexities that Gorr brings along with him.

Thor is Perhaps Not the Best MCU Character to Address Gorr’s Grievances

Not to make excuses for the film. It could and should have found a way to intertwine Gorr’s motivations with the heroes. Not to suggest they should have made him a redeemable, “who’s-the-real-villain?” character, but he should have been taken more seriously. However, the good news is that it can change going forward.

Gorr’s daughter, who is now in the care of Thor, is a (hopefully) lasting remnant of Gorr’s legacy. And from the looks of things, the gods of the MCU aren’t going anywhere. Therefore, Gorr’s complaints aren’t going anywhere. With how well-known Thor is in-universe, it’s only (hopefully) a matter of time before the people of Earth, as well as other planets, start asking where their gods are and why haven’t they done anything.

If this plot point does get brought up again, perhaps it is not Thor who can represent it best. He is almost “too close to the case” to be of any serious help. Besides, it seems like the MCU is trying to take him in a more comedic direction, so his character likely isn’t fit to answer the questions that Gorr’s experiences raise. But this doesn’t mean that no MCU character that exists now, or will exist in the future, can’t fit the bill.