Description

Thor: Love and Thunder opens with one of philosophy's oldest questions: if gods exist and have the power to prevent suffering, why don't they? But does the film actually engage with this theodicy question, or does it abandon the premise for jokes and spectacle? We compare the movie's treatment of Gorr the God Butcher to the comics' more sustained exploration of divine accountability.

Questions we explored:

• What is theodicy, and why does it matter to Gorr's story?
• How does the comic version of Gorr differ from the film's portrayal?
• Does Thor: Love and Thunder set up the theodicy question well but then fail to follow through?
• Is Thor innocent of Gorr’s accusations of other gods, since Thor doesn’t cultivate the worship of mortals?
• Why does the film version of Gorr lack encounters with other cruel or indifferent gods?
• How does comic Thor resolve the God Butcher arc by becoming a god who suffers alongside humanity?
• Has Thor regressed to his character from the first movie, undoing his growth from previous films?
• Is Thor: Love and Thunder's tonal inconsistency its biggest weakness?

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This episode is a production of Superhero Ethics, a The Ethical Panda Podcast and part of the TruStory FM Entertainment Podcast Network. Check our our website to find out more about this and our sister podcast Star Wars Generations.

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