Movie review
July 6, 2022 · 119 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Thor: Love and Thunder is a 2022 Marvel movie where retired god Thor joins his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster, now wielding Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor after her cancer diagnosis, plus Valkyrie and Korg to stop Gorr the God Butcher from wiping out all gods. The film mixes big cosmic fights, broad comedy, romance, and a personal story about worthiness and loss. Jane taking the Thor role stands out as a clear female empowerment element, with diverse casting in key parts like Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and some light same-sex signaling around her character. The story stays in fun fantasy territory with no heavy modern lectures on politics or identity.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Thor: Love and Thunder.
Woke representation / casting
Jane Foster takes the central Thor role as a woman hero in a highly visible way; supporting cast includes Tessa Thompson as black Valkyrie and Taika Waititi’s Maori background in Korg; fits ongoing MCU diversity pattern that some viewers notice as intentional.
Woke political dialogue
Script uses comedy, banter, and pop references almost entirely; zero explicit modern political talks or identity lectures.
Identity-driven story themes
Jane’s cancer battle and rise as a powerful female Thor carry clear empowerment notes; Valkyrie has minor background same-sex interest signals; these stay side elements in a bigger adventure.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Gorr attacks gods for failing to protect people, but this is pure fantasy trauma and revenge in a made-up cosmic setting, not modern activist attacks on patriarchy, capitalism, or Western norms.
Woke character or canon changes
Jane as Mighty Thor comes straight from recent comics with only minor tweaks to her worthiness moment; the shift was marketed openly as expanding the mythos, not an ideological rewrite.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Conservative commentators and videos specifically slammed female Thor as forced woke gender politics and diversity agenda, using phrases like “worst woke cringe”; complaints were real but not the main fan issue, which focused more on humor and tone.
Creator track record context
Kevin Feige’s long push for diverse stories, Taika Waititi’s anti-racism and decolonize comments, and Sarah Halley Finn’s stated efforts to increase representation through casting choices set the pattern; most other writers lack any recent activist record.
Production
