Los Angeles, Nov 14 (IANS): Actor Chris Pratt will join the upcoming superhero movie, Thor: Love And Thunder, as Star-Lord.

Pratt's Guardians of the Galaxy character will make an appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's fourth Thor film. He joins the existing cast that includes Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson and Christian Bale, reports variety.com. Plot details of the new Thor film have been kept tightly under wraps.

Thor was last seen aboard Star-Lord's spaceship, in the closing scenes of the 2019 blockbuster, Avengers: Endgame.

In an interview to comicbook.com in March, actor Vin Diesel, who voices the plant-like alien Groot in the Guardians franchise, had hinted that the cosmic team will be part of Thor: Love And Thunder.

With the film, Portman is returning to the franchise for the first time since 2013's Thor: The Dark World, reprising her role as Jane Foster.

Love And Thunder is the fourth film in the Thor franchise. Production is set to begin in Australia in January, with Taika Waititi returning as director. Waititi also directed Thor: Ragnarok, which made $854 million at the box office. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson has co-authored Love And Thunder script with Waititi. The filmmaker will also voice the Kronan warrior Korg in the latest installment.

Thor: Love And Thunder is slated to release in 2022.