Thor: Love and Thunder’sred carpet premiere took place last night at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood and that means the first wave of impressions from the film are coming in hot, with Taika Waititi’s second go at theMCUdelivering what appears to be a unanimously entertaining experience.
Although regular Marvel fans will have to wait until July 7 for the film’s official release, a large majority of journalists and critics with early access seem to regardLove and Thunderas a more emotional entry than Waititi’s own humor-packedRagnarok. Few will find that last bit hardly surprising, especially given official confirmation thatJane Foster’s cancer storyline from the comicswill be making its way to the MCU as she is reunited with her cosmic lover.
RELATED:8 Marvel Heroes Who Are Extremely Manipulative
For example, Fandango’sErik Davisnotes the movie is “predictably hilarious yet unexpectedly personal and heartfelt. Christian Bale and Natalie Portman’s performances truly shine while Waititi delivers an emotional story,” calling it his favoriteThorfilm yet. Naturally, the all-star cast put together by Marvel Studios gets plenty of praise, with praise for Russell Crowe not falling far behind Bale and Portman, and many praising the Guns N’Roses soundtrack that seems to adorn most of the heroes’ best action moments.
In fact, The Illuminerdi’sCaitlin Tyrellgoes as far as saying “Waititi may have delivered the MCU’s best movie of Phase 4,” a worthy milestone, even despitecoming off the franchise’s least spectacular run, not countingSpider-Man: No Way Home. Those feelings were echoed by Variety’sCourtney Howardwho said the film has “an Appetite For Destruction & laughs. It’s totally rad! Taika Waititi delivers a subversive, irreverent spectacle”, meaning audiences better be ready for some classic 80s rock.
Even the least positive review forLove and Thunderis actually pretty decent as Discussing Film’sAndrew J. Salazarnotes it “gets better when it’s not trying to desperately recapture the magic ofRagnarok. Most of the humor doesn’t land as well as it did the first time,” so it was clearly a victorious night for the people of Asgard. Regardless ofLove and Thunder’ssocial media embargo being lifted right after the red carpet event, full reviews won’t be available until July 5.
In contrast to the more mixed reception garnered by the still commercial hit,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it seems Waititi has indeed struck gold twicewithThor, despite the relatively short running time. Oh, and do keep in mind,Love and Thundermight just turn on the waterworks for some as part of that extra emotional grip, and the post-credits scene is not to be missed according to several attendees.
Thor: Love and Thunderpremieres in theaters on July 15, 2025
MORE:The Last of Us Part 1 and Part 2: How The Remake Can Bridge Plot Discrepancies
