MCU Rumor: Thor 5 May Revisit A Key Marvel Location

Despite the critical struggles of "Thor: Love and Thunder," and the fact that the title character has been at the forefront of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for over a decade, Thor's (Chris Hemsworth) franchise story supposedly isn't over just yet. Word has swirled online that a fifth "Thor" installment is on its way (though "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Love and Thunder" director Taika Waititi isn't returning for it), and it could be a game-changer.

According to sources at the Cosmic Circus, "Thor 5" will supposedly feature Valhalla, the Asgardian afterlife mentioned in "Thor" and "Ragnarok" and seen in the post-credits scene of "Love and Thunder." If this is the case, it could mean the return of such deceased characters from Thor's past as Heimdall (Idris Elba), Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Frigga (Rene Russo), and Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Still, at the time of publication, "Thor 5" and its inclusion of Valhalla have yet to be confirmed, so it's best to take this all with a healthy amount of skepticism.

Given the narrative importance of Valhalla and the notable characters from Thor's past that reside there, it'd be hard to just gloss over it in a potential "Thor 5." It deserves proper attention and needs a good reason to crop up in the story. While the theoretical next "Thor" movie could come up with a strong reason for Valhalla and its residents to factor into the plot, ideally, that shouldn't get in the way of everything set up at the end of "Love and Thunder."

First and foremost, "Love and Thunder" marks a new chapter in Thor's life as he adopts Gorr the God Butcher's (Christian Bale) daughter, Love (India Rose Hemsworth). He's officially a parent, and it's up to him to guide this child into adulthood, even as he contends with the various threats he has previously taken on alone. Additionally, it's teased that Hercules (Brett Goldstein) is hunting Thor following the God of Thunder and his allies' embarrassment of the demigod's father, Zeus (Russell Crowe).

Those are two major story elements that will need room to breathe and develop, especially since Love and Hercules are MCU newcomers, and hopefully, these subplots, along with one focused on Valhalla, don't result in "Thor 5" becoming too busy for its own good. Of course, at the end of the day, a fifth "Thor" has yet to be confirmed, so it might be wise to wait on its announcement before going too wild trying to piece together what it might cover and how well.