This stands in contrast to the dour Thor: The Dark World, and looks like it should be the tone for the character moving forward after the first two lackluster installments.
Thor: Ragnarok seems poised to build on this success stateside, with the film projected to make $100 million over the three-day weekend.
The film also has the benefit of earning almost universally positive reviews and what should be great word of mouth.
Thor: Ragnarok has been praised in many early reviews for being pure cosmic fun and full of the kind of humor you expect from Taika Waititi.