The fourth Thor solo movie landed in theatres on July 8, which means its Disney Plus premier comes exactly 60 days after it leapt onto the big screen. This is quickly becoming the standard timeframe for Disney movies to vacate theatres and launch on streaming; both Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Pixar’s Lightyear experienced a similarly short theatrical window. Directed by Taika Waititi (who also helmed Thor: Ragnarok), Thor: Love and Thunder sees Chris Hemsworth return as the Asgardian hero, this time facing his greatest challenge yet: retirement. But his attempts to find inner peace are soon disrupted when Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) begins a quest to snuff out all gods. To face such a mighty threat, Thor enlists the help of allies Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Korg (voiced by Waititi), alongside his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) who now possesses god-like powers of her own. Despite the near universal acclaim for Ragnarok, Love and Thunder has proved to be a surprisingly divisive chapter in the long running Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film earned a 65% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (opens in new tab), which on paper doesn’t seem disastrous, but is actually the second worst RT score for a MCU movie to date (and there’s been 29 of them at this point). Only the Eternals at 47% has a lower rating. While the performances of Hemsworth, Thompson and Portman were widely praised, Bale’s surprisingly sympathetic villain was greatly wasted and Waititi’s direction, which favors humor above practically all else, was also criticized. The film was also seen by some as yet more proof that the MCU is floundering in a post-Endgame world as the interconnected comic book universe lacks a clear direction or overarching storyline to tie all its pieces together. September 8 isn’t just two months from the day Thor 4 hit cinemas, it’s also Disney Plus Day, an annual celebration of the streaming service designed primarily to sell subscriptions. On this day not only will Thor: Love and Thunder hit the service but the fourth episode of She-Hulk will also premier, as will the last instalment of Assembled, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Thor’s latest adventure. Plus, a live-action version of Pinocchio starring Tom Hanks and new animated series Cars on the Road will be released to mark the occasion. Next: Get ready for the She-Hulk episode 2 release date.
