Thor: Love and Thunder Opens With $302 Million at Worldwide Box Office

Thor: Love and Thunder is lightning up the box office. The latest offering in the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes in with a solid $302 million at the global box office for its opening weekend, making it the third highest weekend for any Hollywood film during the pandemic and second this year only to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness according to Deadline. The film also has the 11th best MCU debut globally.

Thor: Love and Thunder's opening weekend haul is largely in line with projections. The film was expected to bring in around $150 million at the international box office and the actual numbers reflect a take of $159 which is right on track. It will be interesting to see how the film continues to perform from here.

Directed by Taika Waititi and starring Chris Hemsworth as Thor, "the film finds Thor on a journey unlike anything he's ever faced — a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher, who seeks the extinction of gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie, Korg, and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster, who — to Thor's surprise — inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher's vengeance and stop him before it's too late."

While the film is performing well at the box office, reviews for the fourquel have been mixed. Most audiences and critics have found the film enjoyable, but have also noted some rough edges, including ComicBook.com's Jenna Anderson, who particularly noted some "bizarre structural choices and inconsistent CGI."

"Thor: Love and Thunder is undoubtedly a change of pace, whether compared to Thor: Ragnarok, Phase Four of the MCU, or even the larger tapestry of superhero adaptations. The film's heartfelt and reverential core feels perfect for its crop of characters and for the current cultural moment, but that perfection is hindered by bizarre structural choices and inconsistent CGI. At times, that messiness only further adds to the charm of Love and Thunder and its imperfect crop of characters, but it does stop the film from becoming another game-changing entry within the MCU. Luckily, just enough of Thor: Love and Thunder manages to charm and delight — especially its stellar ensemble cast — to still make it a worthwhile encore."

Thor: Love and Thunder is in theaters now.