Thor: Ragnarok injected a bit of much-needed(?) humor into the franchise and the somewhat bland Asgardian hero of the title, but for many, Love and Thunder took the silliness too far. While the movie was frequently funny, the perception seems to be that an overreliance on comedy offset the more dramatic elements of the story, and some found it difficult to take the sequel seriously on any level.
It's a fair criticism (depending on your perspective), but director Taika Waiti has now responded to some of the online backlash he's received by retweeting a comic book panel depicting the Odinson engaging in a dance-off with Luke Cage.
The image was shared when another user accused the filmmaker of turning "Thor into a moron," while another wrote: "Have you ever read Thor, he is over 1000 years old god, he wouldn't joke. Men are ants to him, both comic book Thor and Norse Thor. Gorr butchered 1000s of gods, he was a badass, we never see that, because Thor is joking. Thor cuts Gorr's head off, Jane doesn't die, no story. Dogsh*t."
While it's obviously true that there is no one definitive take on any comic book hero, there are certain defining characteristics that do tend to carry over from writer to writer, and Thor is generally depicted in a more serious, stoic fashion.
While most fans would probably agree that the MCU's take on Thor did need a fresh coat of paint, Hemsworth's portrayal in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame is often cited as the "best" version of the God of Thunder we've seen in live-action this far.
What do you guys think? Does Waititi have a point here, or would you prefer a Thor with a bit more edge to him moving forward?
Thor: Love and Thunder finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor.
Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.
Directed by Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit) and produced by Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum, Thor: Love and Thunder is now playing in theaters.