But Love and Thunder’s purposelessness is particularly glaring in the wider context of the MCU since Avengers: Endgame. It’s not necessarily concerning that Love and Thunder couldn’t reach the heights of its predecessor Ragnarok remains one of the finest additions to the MCU, and would’ve been hard to top under any circumstances. For a film that centers on Thor (Chris Hemsworth) searching for a new purpose in life, Love and Thunder struggles to find one itself-instead of being irreverent, everything seems irrelevant. (This time around, Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster is along for the ride, and quickly transforms into the Mighty Thor.) But the moments of irreverence that made Ragnarok so charming are ill-suited for a sequel whose general aimlessness feels like less of a creative choice than a sign of creative stasis.
THOR RAGNAROK MOVIE
Of course, familiarity is baked into the MCU’s DNA, and the movie obliges by relying on the same playful humor that director Taika Waititi brought to the franchise in Ragnarok. It might give the vibe of a Norse Disney World, but New Asgard could just as well represent the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Īs the fourth Thor stand-alone film and 29th big-screen entry in the MCU-the Marvel tally is even larger if you include the growing slate of Disney+ series- Love and Thunder hardly breaks new ground. Everything that made Asgard novel and exciting now has been commodified to wring every last dollar out of a willing public. (The Asgardians could’ve workshopped a more interesting name, but I digress.) By the start of Thor: Love and Thunder, New Asgard has been transformed into a tourist trap complete with Viking boat rides, theatrical reenactments of Asgardian history, and enough tacky merchandise to fill an empty suitcase. In honor of their former realm, they renamed the Norwegian village they settled in New Asgard. Following the destruction of Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok, the Asgardians founded a new home for themselves on Earth under the rule of Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson).