Thor: Love and Thunder is now in theaters, with Taika Waititi taking us on a fast-paced ride through some of the stranger outposts in the MCU. Critical reception so far has been pretty good, though the film’s release also means we’re now officially halfway through Phase Four.
This began with Black Widow and WandaVision, and is currently scheduled to end with Fantastic Four and either Armor Wars or an untitled Wakanda-based Disney Plus show sometime in 2024/5. Previous phases were leading up to major conflicts, with Phase One laying the ground for The Avengers, and most of Phases Two and Three gradually building the foundations for Infinity War and Endgame. This phase is much more loosely defined, though, and many fans have problems with it.
So, after Thor: Love and Thunder, let’s dip a toe into social media and take the temperature.
Many think it’s the best story we’ve seen so far Phase Four:
Others rate it and the phase as mediocre:
Could there be a lack of focus over the last few movies:
Or does it look out of place:
But some really didn’t like this:
Much more of a mixed bag than we’ve seen previously, then. Could the shine finally be coming off the MCU? We think Phase Four is essentially a holding pattern while they decide the next universe-threatening calamity (probably Galactus), so maybe it’s not surprising there’s a sense that things aren’t as tightly woven as before.
Even so, if Marvel Studios movies stop breaking the billion-dollar box office barrier, we may see Kevin Feige change direction.
Thor: Love and Thunder is now in theaters.