Thor: Ragnarok — How does it fair in Phase Three of the MCU?

By Andre Farquharson | Nov 21, 2017

How does Thor: Ragnarok fair against the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Thor: Ragnarok has just had its US release about three weeks ago and currently it is sitting short of $740 million worldwide.

On October 24, Ragnarok was released in the UK and other international territories to largely positive reviews. If you would like to read our thoughts on the movie, it can be found by this link here.

The Guardian gave a modest review, praising the direction of the latest Thor, Taika Waititi, and its “untapped comedy” from Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder, a more “fleshed out performance of the Hulk” but felt there were many corners that were cut and plot-holes that were – sparse throughout but enclosed – within the picture.

Whereas, The Guardian’s sister newspaper, The Observer, gave a strongly positive four out of five stars in comparison to the former’s three stars saying, “New Zealand director Taika Waititi injects a welcome sense of fun to this latest effects-laden installment of superhero antics.”

I found it quite interesting most UK outlets gave a slightly higher rating than its US counterparts while the reception from both was equally the same. I personally found the character of Thor to be undeveloped, especially the second chapter, The Dark World. The integration of the titular story of the same name that ran from Thor Vol. 2 #80-#86 and the Planet Hulk storyline Incredible Hulk #92-105 provided a truly rendered and terrific adaptation with a clear voice.

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My greatest concern at the time Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ran was how producers could depict Hulk’s storyline, but thanks to Kevin Feige and the writers (Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost) my doubts and questions were answered and rest assured. I thought a CGI heavy production would make the resulting film bloated, but thanks to the vibrant color and lighting, quirky and retro production design from the art department, it was not overridden and flashy.

The family dynamic between Thor, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Hela (Cate Blanchett) was something that expanded on Thor’s character a lot more unlike past appearances, especially with Dr. Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and their relationship.

Unlike Banner, Thor is not a genius, but more than a capable leader. He is no longer arrogant and reckless the first time around and not as hot-tempered. Clearly, being around the Avengers humbled the Asgardian, even when around the Hulk. Hulk and Thor have a competitive rivalry of who is the strongest and better fighter, but have a respect for one another.

While halfway in Phase Three and a lot more to come down the road for the MCU, starting from the top with Captain America: Civil War ranked at number one, Thor: Ragnarok, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2. If I were to rank this film as part of the 17 movies released under the Marvel Studios banner, Ragnarok would be in the top ten behind the first iteration of Guardians of the Galaxy.

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There is no question Ragnarok is the most superior out of the trilogy and serves as an open ending due to the conclusion of that film with the fate of Asgard. With confirmation from Fiege that the character of the Hulk will have a continuation of his arc in subsequent MCU films due to Universal that hold the distribution rights to the character, making a standalone Hulk film next to impossible to produce, I cannot help but remain warmly anticipated at the prospect of what is to come.