Tessa Thompson Explains Valkyrie’s Royal Role in Thor: Love and Thunder!
TheRoot.com, ByStephanie Holland, Posted July 19th 2022
I think rightfully there’s this real want in audiences to see characters be very clearly queer or LGBTQIA inside these spaces,’ Thompson said.
The God of Thunder and his closest friends return in Marvel Studios’ latest film Thor: Love and Thunder, hitting theaters July 8. Chris Hemsworth’s hero is joined by Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Taika Waititi—who once again writes and directs—as Korg, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Thor is trying to retire and live a quiet life, until Gorr the God Butcher (played by Christian Bale) becomes a problem, and The God of Thunder has a shorter retirement than Tom Brady.
When we last saw Valkyrie she was officially taking over as the King of New Asgard, a job she had already excelled at during the blip. Of course, even the best jobs come with a few drawbacks and that’s what Val finds herself dealing with in Thor: Love and Thunder.
“With this one, we also talked about the idea of someone that has a job that they really love, but they’re also kind of disgruntled,” she told Digital Spy at a recent press conference. “She was a professional soldier for thousands of years and now finds herself kind of stuck in bureaucracy.”
Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder | Official Trailer
In the character’s previous appearances in Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame we’ve only gotten bits and pieces of Valkyrie’s origin, so fans are hoping to finally learn more about the King’s backstory, including her sexuality. Thompson, who is open about her own bisexuality, told Yahoo! Entertainment that she and Waititi discussed openly addressing Valkyrie’s sexual identity.
“We talked about it a lot, it was a big topic of conversation,” Thompson said. “Because I think rightfully there’s this real want in audiences to see characters be very clearly queer or LGBTQIA inside these spaces. And I think it’s hugely important to have representation.
“And also as humans I think that we are not defined by our sexuality, and by who we love,” the actress continued. “And so sometimes I think to hang a narrative completely on that is a way of actually diminishing the humanity of the character. Because you don’t allow them to be anything else.”
Valkyrie is very popular and essential to Thor’s arc, so it’s past time to give the character and her fans the story she needs. Honestly, a few movie scenes here and there aren’t going to be enough, so let’s get that Valkyrie Disney+ series in development.
It’s what we, Tessa and Val deserve.
