Marvel Studios is close to releasing Thor: Ragnarok and the early reactions point to another hit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Through 16 films, the MCU has maintained a great track record. Throughout several solo franchises and team ups, there has been one character and franchise that has not met the same acclaim as others. Despite his charm, Chris Hemsworth's Thor franchise has yet to have a standout entry.

Thanks to how the previous films were received, Marvel and Hemsworth wanted to change things up big time for Ragnarok, and that was made clear with the hiring of Taika Waititi as director. With a more comedic tone, brighter colors, and a cosmic adventure that includes Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), plenty of newcomers, and Marvel's first big female villain in Hela (Cate Blanchett) Thor: Ragnarok has plenty of reasons for fans to be excited, and it sounds like the third time is the charm for the God of Thunder.

The social media embargo for Thor: Ragnarok has lifted and as such several reactions have already hit the web. The early word points to the film being another hit for Marvel, one filled with plenty of humor and action - confirming Marvel's confidence in the project.

#ThorRagnarok ⚡️ABSOLUTELY ROCKS! I was totally blown away by the story, action, effects, performances, & one of Marvel's best soundtracks! pic.twitter.com/I6ZA9l6pEc— Umberto Gonzalez (@elmayimbe) October 9, 2017

Thor: Ragnarok is just plain fun. It's hilarious from start to finish with quirky performances & exciting action. Tessa Thompson is the MVP. pic.twitter.com/7GyYG4IZZ5— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) October 9, 2017

Loved ‘Thor: Ragnarok’. @TaikaWaititi did an awesome job. Movie is loaded with his trademark humor. Laughed beginning to end. pic.twitter.com/kfROuqSyVe— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) October 9, 2017

#ThorRagnarok is the best Thor movie BUT still think it’s really good not awesome. Hemsworth, Hulk & Tessa all great, though. And Goldblum! pic.twitter.com/rY6ItFzdjN— Jim Voodooda (@JimVejvoda) October 9, 2017

Thor Ragnarok is one of the funniest Marvel Studio movies thus far, definitely the best Thor film. Loved Mark Mothersbaugh’s score.— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) October 9, 2017

#ThorRagnarok is a ton of fun! Self-contained MCU plot, but character work is awesome, and the adventure a thrill. Best of the Thor movies! pic.twitter.com/tQ8DuCcwxM— Evil Eric Eisenberg (@eeisenberg) October 9, 2017

The strong marketing around Ragnarok has arguably done its job in terms of getting fans excited to see the new film. And if there was anyone on the fence about buying a ticket next month (which is pretty unlikely), these initial reactions might convince those holdouts to open their wallet come November.

Marvel's movies have a built in audience that will line up to see them no matter what the reactions/reviews are, but the studio will draw in more average moviegoers if the word of mouth is positive. The early box office projections for Ragnarok have the film just reaching a $100 million opening weekend - a best for the Thor franchise - but those estimates may rise now that the positive reactions are hitting social media.

Just how positive those reactions are will remain a secret for a few more days, as the full review embargo does not lift until October 19. However, while fans wait to see those reviews and get the inevitable Rotten Tomatoes score, fans can take pleasure in knowing Odinson is set for his best adventure yet.

NEXT: New Thor 3 Clip Features Loki/Valkyrie Knife Fight

Sources: Various (See links)

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