Three months from this Friday,Thor Love and Thunder—which is a great title but I’m still sad this isn’t calledTh4r—is slated to open in theaters. Marvel used to run on a six-month publicity clock, which meant we’d have a trailer by now, but I’ve noticed with the Disney+ shows, they’ve shortened their advertising window to three months, from first trailer drop to premiere episode. They haven’t completely abandoned the six-month clock,Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madnessis getting that treatment, butThor Love and Thunder’s trailer, indeed any official advertising, remains conspicuously absent. Fans are so anxious for a trailer that they are seeing secret messages in Instagram photos, Twihard style.
Chris Hemsworth posted a photo of himself, Taika Waititi, and Tessa Thompson gathered to do advance press for the movie, and they’re all throwing up various hand gestures which some fans think means the trailer is coming out 11 April, 2022, because Taika is holding two fingers up, like an “11”, and Hemsworth is holding up four fingers while making the rock and roll hand sign, and Tessa T is flashing double peace signs, which is equals “twenty-two”.
So, clearly,Thorfans are hungry for that trailer, because that is nonsense. But it WOULD be funny if Marvel dropped the trailer on Monday, April 11, just to really sell the conspiracy. I actually wonder if they’ll holdThoruntilDoctor Strangeis hitting theaters. That would just leave two months to tee the film up, but 1) it’s not like Thor needs the help at this point, and 2) I think film marketing flaks have a little post-COVID stress about committing to expensive media campaigns before they’re 100% sure the movie is coming out when they say it is. I wonder if we’ll see, in the post-COVID era, shorter marketing cycles overall. With fewer films hitting theaters, there’s less competition and less need to pump awareness with long, unending advertising (unless you’reDoctor Strange, in which case there is a LOT riding on your shoulders, no pressure, buddy!). Anyway, I just want to see Natalie Portman done up as the Mighty Thor. I’ve heard it’s worth waiting for.
