Thor: Love and Thunder Release Date Moved Up by Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios has moved up the Taika Waititi-directed Thor: Love and Thunder from its February 18, 2022 release date as part of a scheduling shift announced by studio Disney Friday. Spider-Man director Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange sequel In the Multiverse of Madness, once set for November 5, 2021, will now open months later on March 25, 2022, while an untitled Disney live-action feature has been set for April 8, 2022. Another untitled Disney live-action once set for March 25 and a 20th Century film set for April 8 of that year have been removed from the schedule, with an untitled Disney event film being set for July 9, 2021. The untitled Spider-Man 3, to be co-financed by Sony Pictures and Disney, was shifted by Sony Friday from its July 16, 2021 release date to November 5, 2021, a date once held by Thor: Love and Thunder before it was moved to 2022.

Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok sequel will now open one week earlier on February 11, 2022, in time for the Valentine’s Day holiday. The fourth film in the Thor franchise reunites the Asgardian Avenger (Chris Hemsworth) with former romantic flame Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who finds herself endowed with the power of the mighty Thor.

“It makes Ragnarok feel like a really run-of-the-mill, really safe film,” Waititi said during a recent stream on Instagram Live. “This new movie feels like we asked a bunch of 10-year-olds what they wanted to see and then just said yes to every single thing.”

After teaming Thor with troublesome adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and work friend Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) in Ragnarok, Waititi promises Love and Thunder is another bright and bold adventure movie.

“The next Thor film I’m doing, basically, we’re sort of launching ourselves again on this adventure film, really. That was the thing really that I loved about doing Ragnarok, it felt like we were just putting Thor on a really cool adventure,” Waititi previously told Entertainment Weekly. “There’s always like new things to see and do, and this one, I think we’re gonna double down a lot on that and have it bigger, bolder and brighter. There’s just gonna be some really crazy stuff in the film.”

Marvel Studios next releases Black Widow November 6, 2020, followed by The Eternals on February 12, 2021, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on May 7, 2021, and Thor: Love and Thunder February 11, 2022.