We already know that upcoming Marvel sequel Thor: Love and Thunder will bring back several familiar faces from the franchise, including the Guardians of the Galaxy, Jane Foster, and Lady Sif, but there could be another fan-favorite being thrown into the mix; Darryl the put-upon roommate. Marvel’s What If…? executive producer Brad Winderbaum, who produced the short films featuring Australian actor Daley Pearson as Darryl, has now seemingly teased the character’s return in a recent exchange.
Asked by /Film whether there was any chance that director “Taika Waititi has put together another short to create a bridge between the events of Avengers: Endgame and Thor: Love and Thunder?” Winderbaum responded with “Are you talking about Darryl?” After confirming that yes, they are indeed talking about the beloved Darryl, Winderbaum said “Are you saying you want more Darryl?” in such an apparently teasing way that it can only mean that the MCU’s true hero is making a comeback.
Darryl first appeared in the short film Team Thor, with the Asgardian superhero moving into an ordinary apartment alongside Darryl, and thus subjecting the everyday office worker to some of the inner dramas of the MCU. Darryl even assisted Thor in composing several emails to Tony Stark and Steve Rogers relating to their Civil War conflict.
The , during which he attempts to acclimatise Thor to Earth, before most recently featuring in Team Darryl, in which he is forced to become roommates with Jeff Goldblum’s eccentric The Grandmaster.
Based on the shorts so far, there is much room for Darryl to return, with the character’s perspective on such cataclysmic events as Thanos’ invasion and The Blip no doubt leading to some hilarious exchanges. But have Taika Waititi, Chris Hemsworth and Daley Pearson managed to get together for another zany adventure? We certainly hope so.
Until then, Thor: Love and Thunder is scheduled to be released in the United States on May 6, 2022, as part of Phase Four of the MCU. While plot details for the sequel remain largely under wraps, what we do know is that Natalie Portman will reprise the role of Jane Foster and join the pantheon of MCU heroes, wielding Mj&ölnir and becoming The Mighty Thor. “I’m starting to train, to get muscles. If there can be all these female superheroes, the more of them they are, the better it is. I’m trying to think – it’s based on the graphic novel of The Mighty Thor. She’s going through cancer treatment and is a superhero on the side,” the actress revealed.
Thus, it is safe to assume that Thor: Love and Thunder will be taking inspiration from The Mighty Thor comic book run. Written by Jason Aaron with artwork from Russell Dauterman, the comic book run saw Jane Foster suit up as the Asgardian hero while receiving treatment for breast cancer, with the power of Thor’s hammer both restoring her strength and stopping her cancer treatment from working, putting her in an impossible situation.
Alongside Portman’s return, Oscar-winner and The Dark Knight star Christian Bale will join the MCU as the villain Gorr the God Butcher, an extra-terrestrial warrior whose hatred of the gods leads him on a revenge mission across time and space. This comes to us from Slash Film.