The first trailer and synopsis for Thor: Love and Thunder show comic book writer Jason Aaron's fingerprints all over the July film's plot, from the main villain Gorr the God Butcher to Jane Foster taking up Mjolnir to become the Mighty Thor. But the just-released trailer also highlights the critical importance of artist Esad Ribic, Aaron's creative partner on Thor: God of Thunder, the first volume of his years-long run.
In fact, artist Ribic's work has such a strong impact on the film, at least one shot shown in the trailer is taken almost directly from one of Ribic's panels from Thor: God of Thunder.
What's more, though we haven't seen his official look for movies, Ribic is the co-creator of Gorr the God Butcher. He's also the artist who designed Jane Foster's costume as Thor as well as drawing her first appearance wielding Mjolnir in Thor: God of Thunder #25, before the secret identity of the new Thor was even revealed as Jane Foster.
After Ribic's run on Thor: God of Thunder, artist Russell Dauterman took over as the main artist of Aaron's 2014 launching volume of the simply titled Thor, with Jane Foster in the title role, as well as the subsequent volume, Mighty Thor, which concluded Jane's story as Thor (though she's picking Mjolnir back up in comics just in time for the release of Love and Thunder this summer). Dauterman put his own spin on Jane's look as Thor, as well as redefining a sci-fi influenced, high fantasy look for Asgard and its inhabitants.
The influence of both Ribic and Dauterman's art on Thor: Love and Thunder, down to the direct recreation of some of Ribic's work on Thor: God of Thunder, highlights just how crucial the design and storytelling work by comic artists is to the process of creating superhero movies.
Jane Foster is just one of the heroes who are worthy of wielding Mjolnir.
