It’s been in the works for years, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4 continues with the upcoming release of Thor: Love and Thunder. Chris Hemsworth is back as the title character for a fourth solo movie, which has been in the plans since Thor: Ragnarok surpassed box office expectations in 2017. Anticipation is high for the Taika Waititi-helmed project, as Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Waititi), and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) are recruited to help Thor stop Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale). The MCU blockbuster held its premiere ahead of its July 8 release to theaters, so let’s check out the audiences’ first reactions.
The latest trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder continued to build excitement, showing the crossover action with Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord and other members of the Guardians of the Galaxy. We’ll also see the introduction of Mighty Thor, and Christian Bale making his MCU debut as Gorr the God Butcher. Let’s take a look at what people are saying about the latest Marvel blockbuster, starting with CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg, who says he was surprised in many ways by Thor: Love and Thunder:
Thor: Love And Thunder is a delight. Chris Hemsworth's Thor gets a journey that balances heart & humor unlike any we've seen in the MCU & Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, and Tessa Thompson all deliver wonderful performances. It found many ways to surprise me. #ThorLoveandThunder pic.twitter.com/egDLj4Az9cJune 24, 2022
Perri Nemiroff of Collider says she loves that the MCU is leaning hard into the directors’ styles, and Taika Waititi’s voice is loud and clear in his latest project. Thor: Love and Thunder apparently runs the gamut of emotions and in the end has plenty of heart:
#ThorLoveAndThunder is electric! A wacky, high energy delight with a cast full of aces crushing one scene after the next. LOADS of laughs (my face legit hurts), menace of Christian Bale’s Gorr is chilling, but most of all loved that it’s a film brimming with good vibes & heart. pic.twitter.com/CjVHkxAprCJune 24, 2022
Brandon Davis of ComicBook.com calls the latest offering his favorite Thor movie of the four. Natalie Portman tried to make the argument that she was actually the best God of Thunder, so fans will have to show up July 8 to decide for themselves, because Davis tweets that Portman hits it out of the park as Jane Foster/Mighty Thor:
#ThorLoveAndThunder is absolutely electrifying. My favorite #Thor movie of the four. Taika Waititi through and through. It’s mature, the soundtrack rocks, and there’s great surprises. So much fun.Feels like the best of MCU Phase 1 and Phase 4 in one entry. Loved it. pic.twitter.com/3SO5yoy6j0June 24, 2022
Rachel Leishman of The Mary Sue says Chris Hemsworth — who had fun and worked hard to get as ripped as he needed to be for the movie — is at his best in his fourth solo movie, prompting a literal, “I laughed, I cried,” reaction from this moviegoer:
holy shit. #ThorLoveandThunder is the perfect blend of taika at his best with comedy and a punch to the gut all in one. i left this movie emotionally satisfied while also sobbing and just perfection. we stan a dad rock soundtrack. in the words of my new favorite characters: AHH pic.twitter.com/MytduVq89hJune 24, 2022
Drew Taylor of The Wrap has a similar reaction to others who got an early peek at Thor: Love and Thunder, saying this one might be his favorite Marvel movie yet — high praise considering there are dozens to choose from:
#ThorLoveAndThunder might be my favorite Marvel movie and it also might be their very best. A sublime mixture of extreme silliness, dreamy surrealism and genuine emotion, with some of the most visually inventive set pieces in the MCU. Full of delightful surprises. Just great.⚡️ pic.twitter.com/7Dvku7F9yFJune 24, 2022
Another person calling Thor: Love and Thunder his favorite of the character’s four movies is Richard Nebens of The Direct, who praises director Taika Waititi for being able to deliver an emotional story amid the expected action and humor.
#ThorLoveAndThunder is predictably hilarious yet unexpectedly personal and heartfelt. Christian Bale and Natalie Portman's performances truly shine while Waititi delivers an emotional story. I think this may be my favorite Thor movie. pic.twitter.com/i7BpmQHvQ1June 24, 2022
Those who watched the trailer (over and over again, apparently) know that the movie carries a PG-13 rating for some partial nudity. In other words, Taika Waititi is giving the people what they want. Gabriel Carvalho cheekily says that Chris Hemsworth bares not just his ass but his soul for this surprisingly deep story:
With a huge twist, Marvel was never as deep as #ThorLoveAndThunder. Hemsworth not only shows his ass, but his soul. It is truly a movie about loving and belonging, whatever that means, as long as it is real and keep us moving head, ocasionnaly seeing brief glimpses of beauty.👇 pic.twitter.com/NpUYxFAorcJune 24, 2022
The first reactions are certainly promising, and we’ll know more when critics release their full reviews on July 5. If you want to start planning your trip to the theater for Thor: Love and Thunder, the film opens Friday, July 8. You can also check out our 2022 Movie Release Schedule to see what else is coming soon to theaters, and see what’s next in the MCU as we keep track of the upcoming Marvel movies.
