Thor: Ragnarok ending explained: Pieces in place for Avengers: Infinity War

Years after its release, Thor: Ragnarok is still one of the highest-rated MCU films ever, holding its own against movies like Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home, both of which were the culmination of decades of story building. It's especially impressive, given that the second Thor film is one of the most-hated films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Clearly, just being a Thor sequel doesn't guarantee success or failure.

The movie begins with the premise that Thor must stop Ragnarök from destroying Asgard, but it quickly turns into a more traditional Marvel conflict when Hela, the Goddess of Death, is released and takes over the realm. Thor and Loki end up trapped on Sakaar for a time before returning to Asgard to save its people and defeat Hela.

Thor: Ragnarok was set in a critical place for the MCU, as it took place just before Avengers: Infinity War. This made it almost mandatory viewing when the movies were first coming out. It has also been celebrated for its humor and stellar ensemble dynamics. But the ending is what really makes it a necessary film for fans to come back to. Behind all of the jokes and spectacles, Thor: Ragnarok fundamentally changed the shape of the Marvel universe, putting everything in place for the climax of the Infinity Saga.

The Hulk rejoins the MCU

One of the most significant developments in Thor: Ragnarok is the return of the Hulk. He had left Earth during Avengers: Age of Ultron, landing on Sakaar and becoming a popular gladiator there. During this period, he almost entirely suppressed Bruce Banner, with Hulk becoming a character in his own right, rather than just a plot device.

Thor reunites with Hulk when he is sent into the arena to fight on Sakaar, eventually convincing him to escape and help Asgard. A recording from Natasha Romanoff transforms him back into the form of Bruce Banner, who worries that he may be gone forever if he changes again.

Despite that fear, he does transform again, remaining as the Hulk through the end of the film and into Infinity War.

Asgard is destroyed

While Thor initially believes that he must defeat Hela to save Asgard, he eventually realizes that he can only stop her by initiating Ragnarok - the very thing he had been trying to prevent for centuries. As a result, Loki resurrects Surtur, who is destined to destroy the realm, and Thor tries to get as many of the people as possible to safety, onboard the Statesman ship.

As he and Heimdall agree, "Asgard is not a place, it's a people." This was the only way to save those people. With Asgard fully destroyed, Thor becomes king of the refugees from both Asgard and Sakaar. And this sets the stage for the next chapter in Asgard's story - a chapter that continues through Avengers: Infinity War. Avengers: Endgame, and Thor: Love and Thunder.

The mid-credit scene directly leads into Avengers: Infinity War

The mid-credits scene picks up directly where the end of the movie left off, with Thor pondering where he can take his kingdom of refugees. He decides that Earth is the best option, and while Loki worries that the people of Earth will not treat him kindly, Thor assures him, “I've got a feeling that everything's going to work out.” Such an optimistic statement is practically a dare to the universe to mess things up, and that dare is quickly answered by the emergence of a large ship.

This serves as a direct introduction to the events of Avengers: Infinity War, as the ship is the Sanctuary II, Thanos’s warship. While the survival of the Asgardians gives Thor: Ragnarok a relatively happy ending, the mid-credits scene makes it clear that it’s not truly the end of their journey.

The fate of Thor, Loki, and the refugees is determined in the next film, with further details becoming available in Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, and The Marvels.

The post-credits scene shows the fate of Sakaar and the Grandmaster

Since the mid-credits scene was a direct lead-in to the next movie, it’s little surprise that the end-credits scene isn’t as significant to the future of the MCU. While escaping Sakaar, Thor and his allies started a rebellion against the Grandmaster. After the credits, audiences get a glimpse into the aftermath of their actions.

The Grandmaster climbs out of what appears to be a crashed spaceship, coming face-to-face with a group of scavengers and rebels. As the former leader, this is a wildly dangerous situation for him, so he tries to keep the peace by praising the revolution and claiming that he was an active participant, as the one who was overthrown. He then goes on to call it a tie, which is probably not a great decision on his part.

This is mostly just a gag scene, giving Jeff Goldblum the opportunity to chew the scenery a bit more. He was expected to return in Thor: Love and Thunder, but the scene was cut. However, there is some potential for it to have future importance if the MCU returns to Sakaar. The planet does come up again in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, although the Grandmaster’s fate is not mentioned, and any future connections will likely come from Hulk-related plots, following the comics.

What to watch after Thor: Ragnarok

Because it provides so much set-up for the MCU and other characters, there are a few options for those wanting a post-Ragnarok movie marathon. The most obvious is to follow the mid-credits scene straight to Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Captain Marvel, and Avengers: Endgame. While not perfectly following the release order, this path shows the culmination of the first three phases of the MCU.

However, there are a few alternative paths for those interested in following the characters, rather than the universal threats. The Avengers movies are included because of how important their events were, but they can be skipped in a rewatch for those who remember how those films impact each character’s journey.

Here are the next films and series to watch for each character:

• Thor: Infinity War, Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder

• Loki: Infinity War, Endgame, Loki

• The Hulk: Infinity War, Endgame, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

• Valkyrie: Infinity War, Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, The Marvels