'Thor 4' leak fixes one thing about Valkyrie's character

Valkyrie is charging back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and she’s returning with a new look. Not only is she sporting a new outfit, but the color scheme is a nod to how Valkyrie originally appeared in the Marvel Universe.

In a selfie taken by actress Tessa Thompson on the set of Thor: Love and Thunder, and shared by Twitter user @ReginaBenavid18, Thompson is seen wearing a new Valkyrie outfit. While the source of the image remains vague, it’s all over social media and you can see it for yourself here.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SCI-FI MOVIE? Tell us now for a chance to get paid to write an article for Inverse.

Black and Silver — While Thompson’s hair is done up in an arresting braid, her costume bears a closer resemblance to Valkyrie’s signature black and silver armor that she worn in her earliest comic book appearances.

Thankfully, the costume isn’t a one-to-one replication of Valkyrie’s comic book look. Gone is Valkyrie’s impractically pointy chest armor, and in its place is a more functional costume using the same magical-tactical aesthetic that’s become an MCU staple. Thompson is also wearing cuffed black leather gloves, as opposed to the silver wrist gauntlets donned by comic book Valkyrie.

Still, the nod to Valkyrie’s comic book history in the MCU is a fascinating one. It doesn’t hint at any potential new storylines for Valkyrie — she’s more likely to be claiming her place as Asgard’s new leader than joining up with the Secret Avengers like she did in Ed Brubaker’s 2010 run — but with Love and Thunder Valkyrie will have had both of her signature comic book costumes make it to the screen. Now all she needs is a cape.

The Inverse Analysis — While the new costume looks great, there’s no rhyme or reason to why characters wear certain comic book-inspired looks for any given movie or show other than what the creative team calls for, so we can’t speculate too much here.

Valkyrie wore both a plain black leather outfit and her white and gold Valkyrie armor (also inspired by the comics; see “Vengeance! Cries the Valkyrie” from The Defenders #109) in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok, and now her black and silver armor will appear in Love and Thunder. Thanos went out collecting the Infinity Stones, but Valkyrie is out here collecting her fits.

Thor: Love and Thunder will strike theaters on July 8.

Valkyrie is charging back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and she’s returning with a new look. Not only is she sporting a new outfit, but the color scheme is a nod to how Valkyrie originally appeared in the Marvel Universe. In a selfie taken by actress Tessa Thompson on the set of Thor: Love and…

Valkyrie is charging back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and she’s returning with a new look. Not only is she sporting a new outfit, but the color scheme is a nod to how Valkyrie originally appeared in the Marvel Universe. In a selfie taken by actress Tessa Thompson on the set of Thor: Love and…