It can be argued that no Marvel character has had a bigger glow-up than Thor, who, over 11 years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has gone from self-serious, self-centered prince of Asgard to the silly, self-deprecating nomadic hero he is today.
Played by Chris Hemsworth over the course of nine films, the character's newfound vitality can largely be attributed to the direction of Taika Waititi, whose bold vision helped make "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017) the most beloved and successful of the character's stand-alone films. "Thor: Love and Thunder," now in theaters, reunites the namesake hero with "Ragnarok" ally Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and former beau Jane Foster (Natalie Portman).
In a departure from the sober "Thor" (2011) and "Thor: The Dark World" (2013) (directed by Kenneth Branagh and Alan Taylor, respectively), Waititi's outings with the character are punctuated by flashy set pieces, epic music scores and nonstop jokes.
