The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always growing, and Phase Four has been a wild ride so far. One of the ways that the current slate of TV and film projects has stood out is in regards to on screen representation, with major steps coming in the form of showing diverse stories. This includes more queer representation, but could Thor: Love and Thunder’s Valkyrie actually start up a romance with Captain Marvel? Here’s what Tessa Thompson thinks.
Tessa Thompson made her debut as Valkyrie (whose name we still don’t know?) in Thor: Ragnarok, before reprising that role in Avengers: Endgame and Taika Waiti’s recent Thor sequel Love and Thunder. Thompson has been open for years about playing Val as a queer woman, and there have been a number of notable names tossed around by fans as a possible love interest. That includes Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, which is a potential pairing that plenty folks seem interested in. Thompson was recently asked by Pinkvilla about that particular fan theory, saying:
(laughs) I, you know, the heart wants what it wants. I don't... I can't speak yet to Val. She hasn't had a ton of time to focus too squarely on her love life since she's been besought with a lot of kingly duties.
She’s got a point. Thor: Love and Thunder saw Valkyrie leading the Asgardian people as the newly crowned King of Asgard. That includes plenty of boring work for the badass warrior, which she was seen barely tolerating throughout the recent sequel. But maybe Tessa Thompson’s signature character will have more time to think about love whenever she returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Tessa Thompson’s comments come in response to the popular fan theory that Valkyrie and Captain Marvel should end up together within the MCU. This was previously encouraged by the Westworld actress herself as well as Brie Larson, leading to a frenzy by fans on social media But this time around it sounds like Thompson is being a bit more realistic about the odds of seeing Valkyrie and Captain Marvel actually have a romantic plot line on the big screen.
While Thor: Ragnarok left a scene that confirmed Valkyrie’s sexuality on the cutting room floor, Love and Thunder did feature a few moments that hinted at it. Tessa Thompson self-identifies as a queer woman as well, which is partly why fans have become so invested in seeing Val get her Queen. Later in that same interview, Thompson talked about the possibilities that could be Valkyrie’s love life, saying:
But there are a lot of amazing men, women, other worldly creatures inside of the MCU and certainly in the canon of characters that could enter the MCU. So, I think there's so many fish in the sea. She's single. She's ready to mingle. And I love, both in the comics, Carol and I... Brie Larson is a good friend of mine and I love spending time with her. So, I wouldn't be mad at it, for sure.
For now those Valkyrie/Captain Marvel shippers will have to wait and see if these characters ever actually get to interact throughout the MCU. Brie Larson's ultra powerful cosmic hero will return to the shared universe with Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels, but her future after that crossover movie is a mystery. With the Captain Marvel sequel having her team-up with the likes of Ms. Marvel and WandaVision’s Monica Rambeau, why not add a fourth powerful female hero to the mix?
Thor: Love and Thunder is still in theaters now; the next MCU movie hitting theaters is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on November 11th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
