‘Thor: Love and Thunder’: Tessa Thompson Is ‘Really Into’ Valkyrie’s Gender-Defying Title
TL;DR:
- Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie embraces her King of Asgard title in Thor 4.
- Despite fan confusion, Thompson is “really into” Valkyrie’s gender-defying title.
- Thor: Love and Thunder also sees Jane Foster taking on a new role.
Thor: Love and Thunder will see Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) embracing the title she was granted back in Avengers: Endgame: King of Asgard. That’s right, she’ll take up Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) mantle in the upcoming sequel — though fans have questioned Valkyrie’s usage of “king.” Some are wondering how she can hold such a title when she’s a woman. However, Thompson appreciates that her character’s new role defies gender norms.
Valkyrie embraces the title of King of Asgard in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’
Thor’s journey in Avengers Endgame concludes with him ceding his role as King of Asgard — and granting the title to Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie instead. Valkyrie accepts, and Thor: Love and Thunder will see her leading their people. She won’t be changing her title to “queen” when the sequel arrives, either.
That’s something fans have questioned, as “king” is typically associated with men. However, Valkyrie is defying gender norms with her new role. And actor Tessa Thompson is all about that.
Tessa Thompson is ‘really into’ Valkyrie’s gender-defying title
Fans might be perplexed about Valkyrie’s new title in Thor: Love and Thunder, but Tessa Thompson doesn’t mind it at all. During an interview with Screen Rant, Thompson addressed the confusion surrounding Valkyrie’s usage of “king.” And the actor admitted how much she appreciates it.
“You know, it feels great,” Thompson said. “I’m really into it. It’s funny, because I saw some stuff on the internet of people being very confused. They’re like, ‘King? But she’s a woman!’ Some people were [kerfuffled].”
Thompson went on to compare the role to a job position and praise Thor 4 for moving away from gender constructs:
“But it really just had to do with the fact that Thor would have been king. That would have been what he would have taken over [as], and then he didn’t want to do the job. Essentially couldn’t do the job. He said, ‘Do this job as a friend,’ and then that’s the title. So, she’s still a woman, but she just happens to be king. And I really liked that, because gender is kind of a construct anyway. I think it’s cool.”
Valkyrie isn’t the only one with a flashy new title in Thor: Love and Thunder, either. In fact, Jane Foster’s debut as Mighty Thor may turn just as many heads.
Jane Foster also gets a new title in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’
Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie isn’t the only one pushing back against norms in Thor: Love and Thunder. In fact, Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster will receive a new role and title as well. When Jane makes her comeback in the MCU, it will be as the Mighty Thor. That’s a huge change for her character, and it will certainly challenge anyone who believes Thor was the only one capable of wielding Mjolnir.
With Valkyrie and Jane both taking on new roles, the two are poised to develop a close friendship, too. During a press conference, Thompson alluded to the two characters leaning on one another. Per /Film, this is what she had to say about their bond:
“We talked about the idea of someone that has a job they really love, but they’re also kind of disgruntled. She, you know, was a professional soldier for thousands of years and now finds herself kind of stuck in bureaucracy. So she’s really missing being on the battlefield as missing her sisters. And so it’s been very fun to get to have that again, with Natalie in particular as Mighty Thor.”
We certainly can’t wait to see Valkyrie and Jane step into their power — and their new titles. Fortunately, the wait is almost over.
Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters on July 8, 2022.
