Chris Hemsworth

Critics are calling the third ‘Thor’ the best in the franchise to date, and praising director Taika Waititi’s funky sense of humor.

If you’re not already convinced ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ will be loads of fun, this new behind-the-scenes video will win you over.

SNL viewers are bracing for the return of Tom Hanks’ famous David Pumpkins, but one of Season 42’s most memorable pre-political characters almost looked very different. According to Bobby Moynihan, Hanks thought David Pumpkins was better suited to a Hemsworth.

Thor: Ragnarok changes the game for the entire Asgard family. Hela, goddess of death, attacks the entire realm (and might succeed in destroying it), Thor gets booted off into the multiverse and lands on a hellish gladiator planet, and he and the Hulk, his former teammate, are pitted against each other in an arena. Thor also loses his hair, his flowy cape, and — gasp — his hammer!

Thor and Jane Foster’s breakup has been one of those background subplots shrouded in mystery from the rest of the Avengers, though, to the rest of us who can see Natalie Portman’s real-life career flourishing beyond the bounds of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it makes perfect sense. The breakup was disappointing to some fans (me, I shipped it, it’s the purest relationship in the whole series and it’s OVER and I’m SAD ABOUT IT), but rest assured that Thor: Ragnarok will finally give us an in-universe explanation. Kinda.

Following yesterday’s debut of eight new (and totally rad) character posters, Marvel has unleashed a new sneak peek at Thor: Ragnarok. The special look at the sequel premiered during last night’s NFL season opener, and somewhat appropriately opens with Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster touting the “main event” — which is, of course, the gladiator-style battle between Thor and his work friend, Hulk. Oh, and also there’s a giant wolf?!

Thor: Ragnarok looks truly rad. The trailers for Taika Waititi’s upcoming sequel tease a film that’s supremely funny and wildly colorful and really, really cool; it’s like watching a trailer for the movie version of the smiley face with sunglasses emoji, or a movie called “Rad Dudes With Bad Attitudes.” Marvel’s promotional materials for Ragnarok are definitely in keeping with that particular aesthetic, like this series of eight new, neon-colored character posters — even Jeff Friggin’ Goldblum and Anthony Hopkins get their own posters.

I’d like to think I’m not prone to hyperbole, so believe me when I say I’m putting all my remaining Marvel eggs in the Thor: Ragnarok basket. Sure, I’ve more-or-less enjoyed most of the movies in the franchise  —  this year’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, for example, might be one of their best yet  —  but superhero movies are like anything else: the more you ingest, the less you enjoy it the next time around. If Marvel is going to continue making these movies until the sun explodes, then I’m ready for things to get a little bit weird, and Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi is the right person to deliver.

The cast of Marvel’s new band of heroes assemble on a pair of gorgeous posters.

The electric, neon typography of the Thor: Ragnarok trailers was just one of many things that got us hyped about the Taika Waititi film – Cate Blanchett’s Hela being 99 percent of those other ‘many things.’ Marvel took that psychedelic aesthetic even further with the new poster that dropped at Comic-Con last month, glowing with phosphorescent color. Hopefully you’re not tired of that look just yet because Empire magazine debuted two new Thor: Ragnarok covers full of colorful neon.