Jane Foster’s ending in Thor: Love and Thunder missed a chance at a perfect Lady Sif callback. After missing out on Thor: Ragnarok, both characters returned for the fourth film in the franchise. However, only Jane received a significant role in the story.
Sif, on the other hand, had very little to do in the movie. Apparently, Jamie Alexander’s MCU character was beaten offscreen by Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher. After surviving her battle with Thor 4’s villain, Sif returned briefly toward the end of the movie. As it turned out, Sif became a member of the New Asgard community on Earth where she’s now doing her part to train the Asgardian youths. This was the extent of her presence in Thor: Love and Thunder, as she ultimately paid no role in Thor and Jane’s victory over Gorr at the end of the movie.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Jane’s ending in Thor: Love and Thunder presented the movie with an opportunity to pay off the exchange between Thor and Sif. When Thor told Sif that she wouldn’t be able to go to Valhalla since she didn’t technically die in the battle, he added that only her arm could actually go to Valhalla. Considering that Thor: Love and Thunder is a Taika Waititi movie, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine Jane’s arrival in Valhalla in the post-credits scene being accompanied by a fleeting glimpse at Sif’s arm just lying on the ground somewhere. Confirming Thor’s explanation for how Valhalla works in such a humorous way would have been fitting, despite the nature of the scene. But perhaps in the interest of not ruining a poignant moment, Thor 4 avoided taking this route.
What Lady Sif’s Future Looks Like In The MCU
If recent history is any indication, Lady Sif’s future in the MCU isn’t as promising as many would hope. After nearly a decade-long absence, Sif only came back for a few minutes of screen-time in Loki and Thor: Love and Thunder in Phase 4. So while this doesn’t set high expectations for her future, the movie’s ending does at least make it easier for future MCU projects to make use of her. Now that’s she based on Earth, numerous MCU movies and shows should have the means to bring her in as a supporting character. As for whether or not Marvel will actually take advantage of Thor: Love and Thunder’s setup, however, that remains to be seen.
Shows like She-Hulk: Attorney At Law provide a framework for how a character like Lady Sif can be used. Even though the main protagonist obviously isn’t linked to Thor’s corner of the Marvel Universe, the Disney+ series recently featured a New Asgard character. This goes to show that Thor: Love and Thunder’s Lady Sif – or any other surviving Asgardian – doesn’t need to be held back for Thor 5 or Loki season 2. For Sif, guest appearances are possible with multiple MCU projects.