Thor: Love and Thunder is only one of the anticipated MCU projects that we’ll watch this year on the big screen. The fourth installment of the Thor saga will follow Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder, who will be reunited with Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster, who is set to become Mighty Thor.

The movie was officially announced in July 2019, and with Hemsworth and Portman, Tessa Thompson’s return as the Valkyrie was also confirmed. Now we got the first look at her new, upgraded outfit that she’ll wear in the upcoming movie.

Tessa Thompson debuted as Valkyrie, the fierce Asgardian warrior in Thor: Ragnarok. The backstory of the character explained that she and other Valkyries were sent by Odin to fight Hela, and she was the only survivor of that showdown. After that, Valkyrie lost her faith in the throne and self-exiled herself on Sakaar, working as the bounty hunter for the Grandmaster. After Thor became one of her bounties, she was persuaded by Thor to return to Asgard and fight Hela again.

After Ragnarok, when Thanos attacked the Asgardian ship, looking for the Space Stone, Valkyrie was one of the lucky ones who managed to escape. She survived Thanos’ snap and continued to live with the rest of the Asgardian people in Norway. She joined Avengers in the final battle against Thanos and his forces, and Thor named her the new ruler of Asgard after he left Earth with Guardians of the Galaxy. All that is leading into the next installment of the Thor saga.

It was confirmed that the movie will feature Gorr the God Butcher as the main villain, played by Oscar-winning actor, and The Dark Knight star Christian Bale. Valkyrie’s role in the movie wasn’t specified, but it’s obvious why she’s an important part of this upcoming Thor’s adventure. Some earlier reports are saying that Valkyrie is also set to find love in the movie, and the most recent report revealed that Valkyrie will also show up in the upcoming MCU movie The Marvels.

Directed by Taika Waititi, Thor: Love and Thunder is set to be released on July 8, 2022