With just a few weeks remaining, the anticipation for Thor: Love and Thunder has started taking over the fans. The fourth solo outing starring Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder, Love and Thunder is expected to break major ground in terms of setting the next phase for MCU. Directed by Taika Waititi, Thor: Love and Thunder will be introducing Gorr the God Butcher, played by the dynamic Christian Bale. Hailed to be even a more sinister threat than Thanos himself, Gorr’s presence has now revealed Thor 4‘s connection with both Moon Knight and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
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Thor: Love and Thunder Reveals Panther Goddess Bast
In a recently released still from the movie, fans were quick to notice that the Egyptian Panther goddess Bast is sitting alongside Valkyrie and Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor. Though not much can be inferred from the photo, it seems like a council of gods who have assembled to address the threat of Gorr the God Butcher. Considering that Russell Crowe’s Zeus will also be appearing in the movie, most fans think that the council is being held in Olympus.
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Prior to the release of this still, Akobet Sabet was confirmed to appear as the Panther Goddess Bast. Sabet’s Bast will mark the first human-like appearance of Bast in the MCU, as the Panther Goddess had appeared briefly in Black Panther (2018).
Who is Bast in Egyptian Mythology?
In ancient Egypt, Bast/Bastet was widely regarded as the lioness deity associated with protection against evil spirits. However, the lioness aspect was later given to Sekhmet with Bast getting associated with cats. As a result, Bast became the goddess of childbirth and fertility in later years. She is also considered to be the daughter of the Ra and Isis in Egyptian mythology.
Despite being an Egyptian goddess, Bast is revered in Wakanda when it comes to Marvel Comics. Alongside Sekhmet, Bast is the most prominent deity in Wakanda who granted her powers to the first Black Panther. The entire lineage of Black Panthers can interact with Bast in the Ancestral Plane, as well as with previous Black Panthers.
How Bast Connects Thor: Love and Thunder to Black Panther and Moon Knight
Since Black Panther’s first appearance in the MCU, the Panther Goddess Bast has been mentioned multiple times as the sacred deity of Wakanda. As an Egyptian goddess, Bast granted her powers to the first Black Panther who became the King of Wakanda. Interestingly, Chadwick Boseman’s King T’Challa had name-dropped both Bast and Sekhmet, two prominent deities in Egyptian mythology.
In the latest Disney+ series Moon Knight starring Oscar Isaac, the Egyptian gods were officially introduced to the MCU. From the Moon God Khonshu to Ammit, Moon Knight opened up an entirely new pantheon of gods in the MCU alongside the Norse and Greek gods.
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With Bast’s official appearance confirmed in Thor 4, it makes a lot of sense that gods from various mythologies have assembled to address the incoming threat of Gorr the God Butcher. As it was earlier revealed that Moon Knight almost had a scene connected to Love and Thunder that was unfortunately removed, the movie will finally establish the overarching connection with both Moon Knight and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Thor: Love and Thunder is set to release on July 8, 2022, in theaters.
