Thor: Ragnarok post credit scenes explained (light spoilers)
This section hints at what happens without the full reveal. In the mid-credits scene, Thor and Loki stand on the bridge of the ship carrying the survivors of Asgard. Loki wonders aloud whether heading to Earth is wise, given his history there. Then an enormous ship appears in front of them, and the scene cuts away. If you know what comes next in the Infinity Saga, you know exactly who is on board.
That moment is so important that Avengers: Infinity War begins almost exactly where it ends. Watching the two back to back makes sense, even though our timeline places other titles between them.
The second scene, after the full credits, is a quick joke back on Sakaar. The Grandmaster crawls out of a wreck to face the people he used to rule and tries to talk his way out of trouble. It changes nothing, but it is very funny.
What to watch before Thor: Ragnarok
Two films set this one up. Thor: The Dark World leaves Asgard in an odd state, and Ragnarok deals with the consequences in its first act. Avengers: Age of Ultron explains why Hulk vanished and why Thor went off chasing visions of the Infinity Stones.
Doctor Strange is a helpful third. Its own mid-credits scene shows Strange meeting Thor, and Ragnarok includes that same encounter from Thor's side. The first Thor film adds depth to Loki and Odin, but Ragnarok is easy to follow without it.
Where to watch Thor: Ragnarok
In the US, Thor: Ragnarok streams on Disney Plus, alongside the other Thor films and the Avengers movies around it. Outside the US, availability varies by country; the watch box on this page lists the services we track for your region.
Where it fits in the MCU timeline
On our timeline Ragnarok is set in 2017. The film right before it is Doctor Strange, and the link is literal, since Strange points Thor in the right direction early on. On our full list three optional Marvel TV shows come next, Inhumans, Runaways and Cloak & Dagger, and the next film is Ant-Man and the Wasp, a smaller heist comedy. Ragnarok is a Phase 3 film in the Infinity Saga, and our Marvel Phase 3 in order guide places it among everything else from that stretch.
| Watching by | Right before | Right after |
|---|
| Story order (full list) | Doctor Strange | Marvel's Inhumans |
| Story order (films only) | Doctor Strange | Ant-Man and the Wasp |
| Thor's arc only | Avengers: Age of Ultron | Avengers: Infinity War |
For his full arc, from the first solo film to the latest, our Thor movies in order guide lists every stop.
Thor: Ragnarok explained: the story without spoilers
Thor comes home to find that things in Asgard are not as they should be. Before he can sort it out, Hela, the goddess of death, arrives with a claim on the throne and enough power to shatter Mjolnir. Thor ends up stranded on Sakaar, a junkyard planet run by the Grandmaster, where he is thrown into gladiator fights. His opponent in the arena is an old friend.
What follows is a breakout story: a stolen ship, a reluctant crew and a race back to Asgard before Hela turns it into something unrecognizable. Along the way Thor recruits a hard-drinking Asgardian warrior known as Valkyrie. Taika Waititi plays most of it for laughs, with bright colors and a synth-heavy score, but the film still lets its losses hurt.
Why Ragnarok is essential
This is where Thor becomes the character audiences know from the later Avengers films: funnier, more self-aware and stripped of much of what he had. The changes stick, and so do the losses. It matters for Hulk as well. After his time on Sakaar, Bruce Banner has been the big green guy for so long that getting back to himself is a struggle, and that thread carries into the next team-up. It is also the first time Hulk really talks, in full sentences and with opinions.
If you are trimming your list, our essential Marvel movies and shows guide keeps Ragnarok on it, and Thor: Love and Thunder later picks up the Asgardians it leaves behind.
Cast and characters
Chris Hemsworth leads as Thor, with Tom Hiddleston's Loki back for another round of double-crosses. Mark Ruffalo returns as Bruce Banner and Hulk. Cate Blanchett plays Hela with obvious relish, Idris Elba returns as Heimdall, now living in hiding, and Jeff Goldblum is the Grandmaster, a ruler who treats cruelty like a party game. Odin appears too, in a smaller but memorable role.
Runtime and viewing tips
Ragnarok runs 131 minutes, the longest of the four solo Thor films. Its jokes come fast, so it plays well with a group. For a full Infinity Saga run, the marathon plan can line it up right before Infinity War if you want the handoff intact.
