Thor: Ragnarok

Plot

Two years after the Battle of Sokovia, Thor is imprisoned by the fire demon Surtur, who reveals that Thor's father Odin is no longer on Asgard. He explains that Asgard will soon be destroyed during the prophesied apocalypse Ragnarök, once Surtur unites his crown with the Eternal Flame that burns in Odin's vault. Thor frees himself, defeats Surtur, and takes his crown, believing he has prevented Ragnarök. Thor returns to Asgard to find Heimdall gone and his estranged brother Loki posing as Odin. He forces Loki to help find their father, who Loki put a spell on after his presumed sacrifice years before.

With directions from Stephen Strange, they find Odin in Norway. Odin explains that he is dying, Ragnarök is imminent despite Thor's efforts, and his death will free his firstborn child, Hela, from Hel, a prison she was sealed in long ago. Hela, a sibling Thor and Loki did not know existed, was the leader of Asgard's armies and conquered the Nine Realms with Odin, but he imprisoned her and wrote her out of history after she became too bloodthirsty and did not share his views on peace.

Odin dies, and Hela appears after being freed from her prison. She destroys Thor's hammer Mjolnir, and pursues the two as they attempt to flee through the Bifröst Bridge, knocking them out into space. Arriving in Asgard, Hela defeats its army, slays the Warriors Three, and resurrects the ancient dead who once fought with her, including her giant wolf Fenris. She appoints the Asgardian Skurge as her executioner. Hela plans to use the Bifröst to expand Asgard's empire, but Heimdall takes the sword that controls the Bifröst.

Meanwhile, Thor crash-lands on Sakaar, a garbage planet surrounded by wormholes. A slave trader designated Scrapper 142 subdues him with an obedience disk and sells him as a gladiator to Sakaar's ruler, the Grandmaster, with whom Loki has already ingratiated himself. Thor recognizes 142 as a Valkyrie, one of a legendary force of female warriors who were killed fighting Hela eons ago. Thor is forced to compete in the Grandmaster's Contest of Champions, facing his friend Hulk. Summoning lightning, Thor gets the upper hand, but the Grandmaster sabotages the fight to ensure Hulk's victory. Still enslaved after the fight, Thor attempts to convince Hulk and 142 to help him save Asgard, but neither is willing.

Thor finds the Quinjet that brought Hulk to Sakaar. Hulk inadvertently destroys the Quinjet, but a recording of Natasha Romanoff causes Hulk to transform back into Bruce Banner for the first time since leaving Sokovia. 142 decides to help Thor save Asgard. Loki helps them steal one of the Grandmaster's ships. They liberate the other gladiators who, incited by two aliens named Korg and Miek, stage a revolution. Loki again attempts to betray his brother, but Thor anticipates this and incapacitates him. Thor, Banner, and 142 escape through a wormhole to Asgard, where Hela's forces attack Heimdall and the Asgardian citizens. Hulk defeats Fenris; Loki and the gladiators arrive to help, and a repentant Skurge sacrifices himself to save the citizens.

Cast

Chris Hemsworth as Thor: An Avenger and the crown prince of Asgard, based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name, who has become a "lone gunslinger" searching for the Infinity Stones. Hemsworth had grown "a bit bored" of Thor after portraying the character four times previously, and wanted to take some risks and experiment: Thor has shorter hair in the film, wears a different outfit, his hammer Mjolnir is destroyed, and he loses an eye. Director Taika Waititi added that "stripping" the character down like this allowed him to become a refugee at the end of the film. Waititi also wanted to use more of Hemsworth's comedic skills showcased in films such as Vacation (2015) and Ghostbusters (2016), and cited Kurt Russell's performance in the film Big Trouble in Little China (1986) as an influence on the character.

Tom Hiddleston as Loki: Thor's adoptive brother and nemesis, based on the deity of the same name. Hiddleston was interested in how Loki's attitude has changed, saying, "he is always a trickster. It is trying to find new ways for him to be mischievous". As the ruler of Asgard since the end of the film Thor: The Dark World (2013), Hiddleston notes that "Loki has devoted most of his efforts to narcissistic self-glorification. Not so much on good governance." He also added that "the idea that Thor might be indifferent to Loki is troubling for him... it's an interesting development."

Cate Blanchett as Hela: Thor's older sister and the goddess of death, based on the deity Hel, who is inadvertently released from prison following Odin's death. Screenwriter Eric Pearson included the idea of Hela being Thor's sister in one of his drafts at the encouragement of executive producer Brad Winderbaum. The decision to make Hela related to Thor, as opposed to only Loki as in the comics and Norse mythology, came from needing more impact with Hela and Thor's final confrontation. By making the change, Pearson felt Hela became "the thing that [represents] what it is to rule Asgard, [Thor's] family, what he's been told, what he hasn't been told." Blanchett was inspired by singer Siouxsie Sioux as well as "punk-rock iconography" of the 1970s and 1980s, notably Siouxsie's "unique, unconventional movement", for Hela's movement and how she "commands the space". Blanchett found it difficult to portray the character in a motion capture suit rather than costume, feeling Hela's headdress is "such a huge part of" the power of the character that she would have liked to wear it on set. Hela's design was taken from the comic Thor: God of Thunder by Jason Aaron, while the character Gorr from that comic, who has the ability "to manifest an infinite number of weapons", inspired a similar ability for Hela. Blanchett worked with stuntwoman Zoë Bell and Hemsworth's personal trainer Luke Zocchi, and studied capoeira for the role.

Production

Development

While promoting the release of the film Thor: The Dark World in October 2013, Chris Hemsworth expressed willingness to portray Thor for as long as "people wanted more", adding that he was contracted for another Thor film and two more Avengers films. Producer Kevin Feige stated that the next Thor would build from elements at the end of The Dark World. In January 2014, Marvel announced that Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost would write the screenplay for a third film, with Feige again producing; the story was being outlined that July. At the end of October 2014, Feige announced that the film would be titled Thor: Ragnarok, with a scheduled release date of July 28, 2017. Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston were set to return as Thor and Loki, respectively. Hemsworth earned $15 million for the film. Feige added that the film would be "very important" in Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and also confirmed that, in the context of the film, the word Ragnarok means "the end of all things". He felt that "people will [not] read into that title alone what the movie's going to be".

In February 2015, Marvel pushed back the release date to November 3, 2017. That April, Feige was expecting a draft for the film soon, and a month later he stated that a director, additional screenwriter, and further casting announcements would be revealed "towards the end of the summer", with filming set for June 2016. The Dark World director Alan Taylor explained that he would not be returning, as "the Marvel experience was particularly wrenching because I was sort of given absolute freedom while we were shooting, and then in [post-production] it turned into a different movie. So, that is something I hope never to repeat and don't wish upon anybody else." During the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con, Jaimie Alexander said that she would reprise her role as Sif in "a very pivotal part" of the film.

By October 2015, Taika Waititi had entered negotiations to direct Ragnarok. Other directors under consideration included Ruben Fleischer, Rob Letterman, and Rawson Marshall Thurber. Elizabeth Banks had expressed interest in presenting a pitch for the film, but never ultimately met with Marvel to do so. Marvel presented the prospective directors with "the ten different ideas that we had for the movie", asking them all to come back with a clearer picture of what the film should be. Waititi created "a sizzle reel for the tone, and some joke stuff" using clips from other films, including Big Trouble in Little China (1986). Despite being a discouraged practice within the company, Marvel considered Waititi's reel to be "amazing", particularly its use of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" for the score, which Feige felt "defined what Taika was going to do with this". The song was later used in the film itself, and for marketing it. On why he decided to pursue directing the film, after stating in 2012 that he had no interest in "big features, where the art of the project was sacrificed for profit", Waititi said he felt "like a guest in Marvel's universe but with the creative freedom to do what I want". Waititi was confirmed as director of the film by multiple news outlets later in October.

Pre-production

In January 2016, with the film beginning pre-production, Ruffalo described it as a "road movie" and indicated that additional filming would take place in Sydney. Waititi stated that he was working on the script "a little bit", mainly adding humor to the screenplay, with Eric Pearson joining the project to rewrite the screenplay. Pearson felt joining presented many challenges, as "there were so many puzzle pieces already there," such as having Blanchett as Hela, who was confirmed in the role a month later, and including Hulk, Valkyrie, and Skurge, that he was asked to assemble. Pearson was told not to be restrained by anything from the previous films, and Waititi asked him to make the film fun and have Thor "be the coolest character". Alexander said in early March that she was no longer sure if she would appear in the film, due to scheduling conflicts with her television series Blindspot (2015–2020). She later indicated that this may not be the case, but ultimately was unable to appear in the film due to the conflict. Sif does appear as a character in the play based on the events of The Dark World, portrayed by Charlotte Nicdao.

In April, Tessa Thompson was cast as Valkyrie, with Natalie Portman not returning from the previous films as love interest Jane Foster. Marvel never asked the screenwriters to include the Earth-based characters from the previous films, and Feige said that Foster and Thor have broken up between films. In May, Marvel confirmed Blanchett and Thompson for the film, announced the casting of Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster and Karl Urban as Skurge, and revealed that Idris Elba and Anthony Hopkins would reprise their respective roles of Heimdall and Odin from the previous films. In early June, Palaszczuk and Marvel Studios executive David Grant announced that filming would begin on July 4, 2016, with Weta Workshop creating props for the film. Before the sets for the MCU film Doctor Strange (2016) were demolished, Waititi wrote and filmed a scene for Ragnarok where Thor meets Benedict Cumberbatch's Stephen Strange. Marvel and Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson felt the scene was "kind of perfect" to show Strange joining the wider MCU, so the scene also appears during the credits of Doctor Strange.

Feige noted that Ragnarok would primarily take place in the "cosmos" rather than on Earth, a departure from the previous Thor films. He expanded by saying, "Tonally and geographically there are a lot of different planets outside of the nine realms that we visit" in the film. Waititi consulted with theoretical physicist Clifford Johnson on space travel. Johnson viewed early drafts of the script, and gave Waititi physics ideas that could "wink at some of the classic old [Thor] stuff"; Johnson previously consulted on the second season of the MCU television series Agent Carter (2015–2016). Astronomer-physicist Adam Frank was also a consultant on the film, advising on wormholes and interstellar travel. Comic artist and Thor co-creator Jack Kirby was one of Waititi's major visual inspirations for the film. Winderbaum also called Walt Simonson's "Ragnarok" story arc an inspiration for "really fun elements ... both stylistically and narratively", as well as Thor: God of Thunder (2012–2014) by Jason Aaron, which was the inspiration for Hela's design and abilities. Waititi said the planet Sakaar, which is featured in the "Planet Hulk" storyline, was "the biggest shift for the film and these characters", with Winderbaum describing it as "the toilet of the universe", surrounded by "wormholes that have been spitting things out into this place for eons". Also featured is Muspelheim, one of the Nine Realms, ruled by Surtur. Production designer Dan Hennah described it as a Dyson sphere, with the realm drawing power out of a dying star to energize its inhabitants. Hennah hoped to give Asgard "more of a humanity" than in previous films, by adding smaller building perspectives to help the realm seem more practical and utilitarian. For Saakar's gladiator arena, Hennah looked at Roman gladiators, but differentiated from previous similar ideas by going "all alien with it". The arena is surrounded by "standing up bleachers".

Filming

Principal photography began on July 4, 2016, under the working title Creature Report, at Village Roadshow Studios in Oxenford, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, exclusively using all nine of the studios' sound stages. Additional filming was to occur throughout the state of Queensland, including Tamborine National Park. The Brisbane central business district, where filming took place from August 22 to 25, was used to double as New York City. Javier Aguirresarobe served as cinematographer on the film, describing his work on the film as "a rare combination of satisfaction and frustration", feeling that he was mostly there to service the director and visual effects supervisor, but felt "very happy to have been able to respond to such incredible technical requirements".

Later in July, regarding the film's "buddy-style comedy" nature, Waititi said that the script had changed from then and it was still unclear what the final film would look like, but there "are buddy elements to it between Thor and the Hulk". He said it would be a "'70s/'80s sci-fi fantasy" and "the most 'out there' of all the Marvel movies", with the tone closest to that of Big Trouble in Little China. Inspiration for the road-trip aspect of Ragnarok included the films 48 Hrs. (1982), Withnail and I (1987), and Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987). Waititi also asked the heads of each department to watch the film Flash Gordon (1980) before beginning work. Concept art released at San Diego Comic Con in 2016 revealed that the character Fenris Wolf would appear.

By August, over 100 set and construction workers were given termination notifications, with some complaining that they had been promised work until October or November 2016, and that New Zealand crew members were receiving preferential treatment over the Australian locals. However, Premier Palaszczuk stated that the work for set builders simply "finished", and that other jobs would become available as actors arrived for filming. Sets constructed for the film were for Sakaar, including the Grandmaster's palace and surrounding junkyard, as well as Asgard (based on the aesthetics of the previous Thor films). The interior of the Avenger Quinjet, which was built for the MCU film The Avengers (2012), was shipped to Australia. Waititi, who is Māori, made hiring Indigenous and Aboriginal Australians, along with New Zealanders, a priority for the various departments, saying, "It's a responsibility you have to the Indigenous people. You're coming to a country and you're bringing money into the economy and creating jobs but I think you have an even bigger responsibility to look after the people that have less opportunities." He added that having these people on the crew "feel[s] very much like family" and "helps calm me down and makes me feel relaxed". The Indigenous and Aboriginals were hired as part of an initiative by Screen Australia's Indigenous Department, whose mission is "to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders a foot in the door of the film industry".

Post-production

In January 2017, it was revealed that Pearson would receive sole screenwriting credit on the film, with the story credited to Kyle, Yost, and Folsom. These credits were later updated the following September, with Pearson as the screenwriter and story credit for Kyle and Yost. Folsom took issue with Marvel marketing the film with these credits, noting the Writers Guild of America (WGA) had yet to determine the final credits for the film. She later said that Marvel had given her a story credit on the film, but it was denied by the WGA due to their regulation that a maximum of two individuals can receive story credit, with an allowance for a writing team to count as one individual; Pearson and the team of Kyle and Yost received the story credit on Ragnarok. Folsom added that she planned to appeal the decision and that Marvel has been supportive of her throughout her attempt to receive credit. By the end of the month, the writing credits were updated once again, this time simply crediting Pearson, Kyle, and Yost as screenwriters.

In February 2017, Rachel House said she had a small role in the film, having worked with Waititi before. Additional filming took place in Atlanta in July 2017, over three weeks, including filming post-credit scenes. One of these introduces the spaceship Sanctuary II, which belongs to Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, while the other, shown at the end of the credits, features the Grandmaster. Goldblum and Waititi improvised multiple versions of the latter scene; one unused version involved the singing of the Sakaarian national anthem, which was "made up on the spot". Also filmed in Atlanta was the completion of a sequence where Asgardian actors perform a play based on the events of The Dark World. Neill appears in the sequence as the Odin actor, and Hemsworth's brother Luke portrays the Thor actor. Explaining the sequence, Waititi said, "if I was Loki and I was ruling Asgard, I would write a play about myself and force everyone to go and see it—change the details of the play and get a huge celebrity to play myself." For the Loki actor, they "really wanted someone good and someone who's funny", and Chris Hemsworth suggested that Matt Damon, whom he knew personally, take on the role. Damon was in New York City at the time, and flew to Atlanta just to shoot the cameo "on a lark". Also changed during reshoots was the location of the sequence where Thor and Loki find Odin on Earth, and Hela subsequently destroys Mjolnir. Originally set in a New York City alley, Waititi decided that the environment was distracting from the emotions of the sequence. The location was changed to Norway, which Waititi felt gave more weight to the scenes, made Odin's storyline more "authentic", and also allowed the characters and the audience to "chill out for a second, and have that moment, because the rest of the film basically just runs at a clip".

Music

By August 2016, Mark Mothersbaugh was hired to score the film. The synthesized score is influenced by the work of Jean-Michel Jarre. Waititi stated he would have asked the band Queen to work on the soundtrack for the film if their lead singer Freddie Mercury was still alive, because the film is "a cool, bold, colorful cosmic adventure" which would have suited the "feel" of the band. Additional music featured in the film include "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin and "Pure Imagination" from the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). Patrick Doyle's themes from Thor and Brian Tyler's themes from The Dark World and Age of Ultron, as well as Joe Harnell's "The Lonely Man" theme from the television series The Incredible Hulk (1977–1982), are also used in the film. Hollywood Records released the film's soundtrack digitally on October 20, 2017, and physically on November 10, 2017.

Marketing

At the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con, a physical model of Hulk's gladiator armor was revealed, concept art and rough animatics were shown, and a "mockumentary" short titled Team Thor was screened. Directed by Waititi, it showed what Thor and Banner were doing during the events of Civil War, with Daley Pearson appearing as Thor's Australian flatmate Darryl Jacobson. The short was released online in August 2016, and with the digital download of Captain America: Civil War the following month. Team Thor: Part 2 was released on the home media of Doctor Strange in February 2017, with Pearson reprising his role. Footage and concept art for the film were shown at CinemaCon 2017.

On April 10, 2017, the first teaser trailer was released. Sandy Schaefer of Screen Rant felt it was "a strong start" for the film, having "a distinctly playful vibe" by setting it to "Immigrant Song". The Verge's Chaim Gartenberg said "this may be the weirdest Marvel movie to date" thanks to the costumes, makeup, and '80s aesthetic. Michael Arbeiter for Nerdist was pleased with the teaser, stating, "nothing in the MCU thus far can hold a candle to the imagination promised by this ... have any of [the previous MCU films] felt this beholden to what we've always known and loved as the adventure genre?" The teaser was viewed 136 million times in 24 hours, the third-highest in that time frame, behind The Fate of the Furious (139 million) and It (197 million). It also became Disney and Marvel's most viewed trailer within that time period, surpassing Beauty and the Beast (127 million) and Captain America: Civil War (94 million), respectively. The line from the trailer of Thor saying Hulk "is a friend from work" was suggested to Hemsworth by a Make-A-Wish child visiting the set on the day the scene was filmed.

Props and costumes from the film were on display at D23 Expo 2017 along with set pieces for photo opportunities. The costumes were also on display at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con, where Waititi and cast members promoted the film. Exclusive clips were shown, along with a new trailer. Ethan Anderton of /Film felt "the blend of comedy and bright, vibrant comic book action" in the trailer was "incredible". Collider's Haleigh Foutch was "in love with this trailer" and "all in" on the film. Germain Lussier for io9 called the trailer "a two-and-a-half-minute ball of action, awesomeness, humor, and insanity that may be the most purely fun Marvel movie trailer we've ever seen." The poster also released was praised, being called by Anthony Couto from Comic Book Resources as "quite stunning", "insanely colorful", and "perfectly symmetrical", with Matt Goldberg of Collider feeling it "really [lets] you know that this Thor movie is going to be radically different than the first two". Due to the Comic-Con presentation, Thor: Ragnarok generated over 264,000 new conversations on social media from July 17 to 23, the most out of any film during that time period, according to Comscore and its PreAct service. It remained the most-discussed film on social media for two more weeks.

Release

Theatrical

Thor: Ragnarok had its world premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on October 10, 2017, and its Australian premiere took place on October 13, on the Gold Coast. It was released in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2017, with additional international releases on October 25, and in Australia on October 26. The film was released in the United States and Canada on November 3, in 4,080 theaters, of which over 3,400 were 3D, 381 were IMAX and IMAX 3D, and 204 were D-Box. The film opened in 1,187 IMAX theaters globally, which was a November opening weekend record. It was originally scheduled for release on July 28, 2017. Thor: Ragnarok is part of Phase Three of the MCU.

Home media

Thor: Ragnarok was released on digital download by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on February 20, 2018, and on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand on March 6. The digital and Blu-ray releases include behind-the-scenes featurettes; audio commentary; deleted scenes; a blooper reel; and Team Darryl, a continuation of the "mockumentary" short films Team Thor and Team Thor: Part 2, in which the Grandmaster moves in with Darryl after Thor leaves. In one of the deleted scenes, Michael Rooker makes an appearance as Yondu, reprising the role from the first two Guardians of the Galaxy films. James Gunn, writer and director of the Guardians films, clarified that Yondu was never meant to appear in the final film, and that Rooker was on a nearby set recording material for the Halloween variant of the theme park attraction Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!; and decided to stop by the Ragnarok set "to goof around".

The film debuted at number one on the NPD VideoScan overall disc sales chart during its first week of release, which tracks combined DVD and Blu-ray Disc unit sales, and a dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart. Blu-ray accounted for 83% of unit sales, with 11% coming from Ultra HD Blu-ray. Thor: Ragnarok also debuted second on the Media Play News rental chart behind Coco. In its second week, the film fell to number two on the NPD VideoScan chart, coming in behind Justice League, but rose to number one on the Media Play News rental chart. The IMAX Enhanced version of the film was made available on Disney+ beginning on November 12, 2021.

Reception

Box office

Thor: Ragnarok grossed $316 million in the United States and Canada, and $539 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $855 million. In September 2017, a survey from Fandango indicated that Ragnarok was the most anticipated fall film. On the weekend of November 3, 2017, the film earned $25.4 million from IMAX showings, surpassing Doctor Strange as the largest for a November weekend. The film had earned $650.1 million globally, surpassing the total grosses for Thor ($449.3 million) and Thor: The Dark World ($644.6 million), by the end of its third weekend. It became the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2017. Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $174.2 million, accounting for production budgets, marketing, talent participations, and other costs; box office grosses and home media revenues placed it eighth on their list of 2017's "Most Valuable Blockbusters".

Thor: Ragnarok earned $46.8 million on its opening day in the United States and Canada (including $14.5 million from Thursday night previews), and had a total weekend gross of $122.7 million, which was the top film for the weekend, the sixth-best November opening, and the largest opening for all Thor films. IMAX contributed $12.2 million, which was the second-best IMAX opening of 2017 and its third-best November opening. The film's earnings on Sunday ($32.1 million), was the second-best Sunday in November after The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) ($34.5 million). The film had been projected to gross $100–125 million in its opening weekend. Ragnarok remained the number one film in its second weekend, having earned a total of $211.6 million, which surpassed the entire runs of Thor ($181 million) and The Dark World ($206.4 million). In its third weekend, Thor: Ragnarok fell to third at the box office, and fourth in its fourth and fifth weekends. The film surpassed its projected total domestic gross of $280 million in its fifth weekend with $291.4 million, Thor: Ragnarok was fifth in its sixth weekend, and seventh in its seventh weekend, the final weekend it remained in the top 10.

Outside the United States and Canada, the film opened in 36 markets in its first weekend, ranking first in all, and earning $109.1 million, $6 million of which came from 189 IMAX screens. The United Kingdom opening ($16.2 million) was the best October opening for a non-James Bond film. South Korea ($15.7 million), Australia ($8.4 million), Brazil ($8.1 million), Indonesia ($5.5 million), Taiwan ($5.4 million), the Philippines ($3.8 million), Malaysia ($3.5 million), New Zealand, Vietnam, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, and South Africa had the best October opening weekend ever, while France ($7.7 million) had the second-best. Brazil also had the third-best debut for an MCU film, while New Zealand's opening was the biggest of 2017. In its second weekend, Ragnarok opened at number one in 19 more markets, with the largest November opening ever in China ($56.3 million, including $6 million from 446 IMAX screens), Mexico ($10.8 million), Germany ($8.9 million), and India ($5.5 million). It also remained at number one in many existing markets. The film earned an additional $13.2 million from 788 IMAX screens, the best November opening. In its third weekend, the film remained at number one in over 30 countries, and became the highest-grossing superhero film in the Czech Republic. By its fifth weekend, Ragnarok had become the highest-grossing superhero film in central and eastern Europe. As of December 10, 2017, the film's largest markets were China ($112 million), the United Kingdom ($40.4 million), and South Korea ($35.1 million).

Critical response

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 93%, with an average score of 7.6/10, based on 437 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Exciting, funny, and above all fun, Thor: Ragnarok is a colorful cosmic adventure that sets a new standard for its franchise—and the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe." Metacritic assigned a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 based on 51 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, the best of the Thor series, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it a 90% overall positive score and an 85% "definite recommend".

Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter praised Waititi's handling of "the clash-of-worlds CGI extravaganza", particularly for the lighter tone he brought, with "even the story's central bad guys [being] silly fun, hammed to the hilt by Cate Blanchett and Jeff Goldblum." Alonso Duralde of TheWrap wrote, "Both the banter and the fighting, it should be noted, are excellent, so whether you go to superhero movies for the glossy escapism or the pulse-pounding action, you'll get your large soda's worth." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone rated the film three stars out of four, described it as "the most fun you'll ever have at a Marvel movie" while praising the film's changing tone and direction, comparing it favourably to Guardians of the Galaxy. The San Francisco Chronicle's Mick LaSalle lauded the performances of Hemsworth, Hiddleston, Blanchett, Thompson, Goldblum and Ruffalo, feeling the film "has confidence in its characters and in its own invention, and so it avoids repetition and stays fresh".

Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times similarly praised the film, calling the performances of the ensemble cast "outstanding" and Waititi's direction "goofy and campy and marvelously self-referential". He also said the soundtrack that was used in the climactic battle sequence, particularly Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song", was "perfectly synced". Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com gave the film three out of four stars, positively comparing Hemsworth's performance to Cary Grant: "Hemsworth's charisma holds [Thor: Ragnarok] together whenever it threatens to spin apart". Justin Chang of Los Angeles Times praised Blanchett's performance of Hela, drawing a comparison of the portrayal of her character to other iconic villains such as Maleficent and Chernabog, and the film's similar themes and tone to Flash Gordon, Star Wars (1977), and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. The Daily Telegraph's Robbie Collin gave the film four out of five, hailed it as "one of [Marvel's] best films to date" while commending the performances and describing Mark Mothersbaugh's musical score as "turbo-charged". Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune commended the performances of Hiddleston and Thompson as being "wonderfully matched". He also noted a similar directing style of Waititi to Edgar Wright's "parodic work" and labelled the film as "unusually lively and buoyant" while acknowledging the effect of a "Marvel Fatigue factor" towards the audiences.

Future

Sequel

A third sequel titled Thor: Love and Thunder was released on July 8, 2022. Hemsworth, Thompson, and Elba reprised their roles, with Natalie Portman, Jaimie Alexander, Kat Dennings, and Stellan Skarsgård returning after not appearing in Ragnarok. Portman portrayed her character taking on the mantle of Thor, similar to the comics. Additionally, Chris Pratt, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, and Sean Gunn reprise their roles as Guardians of the Galaxy members Peter Quill / Star-Lord, Mantis, Drax the Destroyer, Nebula, Groot, Rocket, and Kraglin Obfonteri. Christian Bale joined the cast as the villain Gorr the God Butcher.

Other

By the release of Ragnarok, Waititi and Marvel had discussed a spin-off Marvel One-Shot short film following the characters Korg and Miek, but it was unfeasible due to Marvel's commitment to producing three feature films a year. Feige said Marvel still had plans for those characters, but did not specify. Both appear in Avengers: Endgame and Love and Thunder.