Taika Waititi definitely put the love in Thor: Love and Thunder, as the comedic director once again returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to helm the fourth Thor standalone. In case the name didn't give it away, there were hugs and kisses all around for Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder. Still, that doesn't mean there wasn't a typically dark undertone bubbling beneath the surface. 

Alongside the return of Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie as the King of Asgard, there was the long-awaited reunion between Thor and his ex - Natalie Portman's Jane Foster. Although there weren't many newcomers to the party, Christian Bale stepped up as the defacto big bad in the form of Gorr the God Butcher. Alongside him, there was Russell Crowe's arrogant Zeus as the leader of the gods. 

With a short runtime of just 119 minutes, Thor: Love and Thunder was on the shorter side of the MCU spectrum. It still packed a lot in, as the heads (literally) rolled and we continued to embrace the darker side of the world's highest-grossing franchise. If you missed anything, here's the Thor: Love and Thunder ending explained.  Warning: major Thor: Love and Thunder spoilers ahead.

Thor: Love and Thunder Ending Explained

Thor, Valkyrie, and Jane Foster (under the mantle of The Mighty Thor) take their fight to the Shadow Realm, where they face off against Gorr. Luring them there, it turns out it was a trap where Gorr wants to use Thor's Stormbreaker axe to open the Bifrost, meet the cosmic deity known as Eternity, and be granted his wish of wiping all gods from existence.

With Jane too weak to fight from the effects of her Stage 4 cancer - and Valkyrie stabbed by Gorr - Thor goes to fight Gorr alone at Eternity. Just when it looks like Gorr has bested Thor, Jane appears and the pair take on the God Butcher - knowing it will likely kill her. Even though the Necrosword is destroyed, Gorr makes it to Eternity and looks like he's about to make his wish. When Thor cradles a dying Jane in his hands, Gorr has a change of heart and brings his deceased daughter back to life. Thor promises to take care of Gorr's daughter, the latter dies, and Jane also peacefully passes on in a shower of gold light. 

Back in New Asgard, we got another narration from standout dude, Korg. A giant statue has been erected in Jane's honour, Valkyrie is training the young Asgardians in battle, and a one-armed Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander) has taken stewardship of Heimdall's son - who is learning to master his powers. Things end in heartwarming style, as Uncle Thor has adopted Gorr's daughter. He's back swinging Mjolnir, while she takes control as Stormbreaker. The two leap into battle, as Korg confirms the pair now go under the name of Love and Thunder. Roll credits and (obviously) those post-credits scenes.

What Happens In The Thor: Love And Thunder Post-Credit Scenes?

Love has powers of her own, which presumably come from the fact she was brought back to life by Eternity during the Love and Thunder ending. It's only brief, but we see her shoot purple lasers from her eyes a bit like Homelander in The Boys. The end credits confirm that "Thor will return," giving us a James Bond-esque tease of his future. Even though Thor already has the honour of being the only Avenger to hold up a quadrilogy of movies on his own, let's not count out Thor 5. 

As for where Thor 5 goes next, the movie's two post-credit scenes give some handy hints of what's on the way for that long-haired Lothario. The first tease confirms that Zeus survived a lightning bolt through the chest. Whether we're setting up some sort of mythological spin-off or saving the angry Greek gods for another Thor outing, Zeus stoically warns that humanity needs to fear the gods again. While we'd already guessed Hercules would have a part to play, the scene cements Ted Lasso's Brett Goldstein as Zeus' muscular son.

Stick around a little longer for some more Thor-centric teases. The second scene features Jane Foster waking up in Valhalla and being greeted by Idris Elba's Heimdall. Remember, he died in Avengers: Infinity War. Welcoming her to the Asgardian afterlife, it confirms that while Jane is dead in a traditional sense, we likely aren't done with her. Thor has faced a lot of loss across his arc, but with Frigga (Rene Russo), Odin (Anthony Hopkins), Heimdall, and even prime timeline Loki (Tom Hiddleston) all having kicked the bucket, Valhalla is pretty full right now. 

When Will Thor Return To The MCU?

Despite its flaws, Thor: Love and Thunder was another Waititi wonder that dives into the more comedic side of the MCU - thankfully leaving Alan Taylor's miserable Thor: The Dark World in the dust. It would've been entirely possible for the Love and Thunder ending to round off Thor's story here, but those post-credit stingers are just too good to pass up on. Other corners of the MCU might be busy building the Young Avengers, New Avengers, or Thunderbolts, but Love and Thunder establishes its own pantheon of different mythologies. 

Much like a question mark hanging over Elizabeth Olsen's inevitable future as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch and Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange, we know Thor will be back... just not when. The MCU is expanding at an exponential rate, with Phase 4's remaining roster set to continue in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and The Marvels. Basically, there's plenty to keep us busy away from Thor, so sorry Hemsworth fans. Rest assured that although the storm might've passed, hammer time isn't over just yet.