When it comes to Taika Waititi, a little chaos is to be expected, and it seems like Thor: Love and Thunder is no exception. Following the mixed reaction to Marvel's last blockbuster Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, fans have been eagerly awaiting the more light-hearted spectacle that is the Chris Hemsworth-starring follow-up to the Thor franchise. In Love and Thunder, Thor finds himself on a bit of a spiritual journey as he embarks on a quest for inner peace. His plans for retirement run into a bit of a snag when Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) sets out to destroy all of the gods (I mean, his name tells you everything), and Thor has to enlist a few old friends to stop the extinction of the gods.
Love and Thunder sees Thor reuniting with King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Waititi), and his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) who is now wielding Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor. This trio isn't the only friend group that Thor will team up with during his cosmic adventure—be prepared to see him share the screen with the Guardians of the Galaxy. As previous trailers have revealed, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), Drax (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Kraglin (Sean Gunn) will all make an appearance in the film. Additional cast members include Jaimie Alexander, Sam Neill, Luke Hemsworth, Matt Damon, Melissa McCarthy, and Russell Crowe.
The last Thor-centric film, Thor: Ragnorak, was met with largely positive early reviews, with most critics and fans praising Waititi for his unique brand of laugh-out-loud humor and cosmic zaniness. But how will Thor: Love and Thunder fare with early reactions? Let's find out what the Midgardians are saying.
In the immediate wake of the premiere, Collider's own Steve Weintraub didn't have a lot to say, but he had a blast, and he hopes that Waititi makes more Marvel films, which is definitely a positive.
Collider's Perri Nemiroff and Therese Lacson said the film was "brimming with good vibes" and "so many laughs and tears." They both emphasized just how funny Thor: Love and Thunder is, which feels like a given considering Waititi's keen witty style.
Across the board, most critics seem to be largely positive about Thor: Love and Thunder, with critics like Griffin Schiller, Hector Navarro, Kirsten Acuna, and Richard Nebens calling the film a "warm hug," "rad as hell," "the best entry in Phase 4," and "unexpectedly personal and heartfelt."
Others weren't entirely swayed by the humor, music, and visuals delivered in the film, with Kristian Harloff, Scott Menzel, and Jacob Kleinman noting that the film was "tonally all over the place" and not quite able to live up to the "comedy bombast of Ragnarok."
Jeff Zhang praised the film for being uninterested in cameos—which stands as a stark contrast to Marvel's last premiere.
It sounds like fans of Thor and Jane are in for a treat, as some critics like Lyra Hale said that the film made them ship the duo in less than two hours:
Erik Davis also pointed out the romantic aspects of the film, while highlighting that the film is a "classic Thor adventure!"
You can find out if Thor: Love and Thunder lived up to the hype on July 8, 2022.