Marvel fans finally got what they’ve been waiting for this Monday when the first teaser trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder thundered online, causing MCU lovers to go mad with excitement over this brief taste of what Taika Waititi’s much-anticipated follow-up to Thor: Ragnarok has in store for us when it lands this summer. At least, that’s how it was at first…
After that initial wave of hype, a vocal subset of fans have since stepped forward to hit back at Waititi’s version of the Asgardian Avenger and champion the early entries in the hero’s solo saga. A tweet from @ac_hutchens went viral, for instance, for sharing a clip from 2011’s Thor, as directed by Kenneth Branagh, and using it to dunk on Waititi’s more comedic approach to the material.
This controversial take went on to incite a fierce battle between Branagh loyalists and Waititi fans, with both sides voicing their strong opinions on whether the first Thor is secretly the best one or if it’s still Ragnarok, as conventional wisdom has it.
Apparently, they do.
Shots fired.
OK, they’ve got a point about the Dutch angles.
Is Ragnarok too close to Guardians of the Galaxy?
That day has come.
Others, meanwhile, are taking a more balanced approach. Why can’t we just enjoy both directors’ interpretations of Thor?
Remarkably, there was even some love for Thor: The Dark World in this thread, with some folks voicing their preference for its more serious tone over Ragnarok‘s madcap nature. While that’s a hot take that’s probably going too far for most, clearly a lot of folks do miss the Shakespearean edge that Branagh brought to proceedings in Thor 1.
But the phenomenal success of Ragnarok and the intense anticipation for its sequel speaks for themselves. We’d expect Thor: Love and Thunder to be another mega-hit both critically and commercially when it strikes into cinemas this July 8.