This is the reason Chris Hemsworth's Thor now has short hair

Gone are Thor's long, blonde locks in favour of an altogether more practical ‘do, while his hammer has been replaced in the first image revealed on the cover of Entertainment Weekly.

The Marvel hero has had something of a makeover for the new movie, with actor Chris Hemsworth describing the change as “a rebirth for me as the actor, but also as the character.

“It was nice not to have to sit in the make-up chair for that hour each morning,” Hemsworth told the magazine.

Fans, however, weren't very impressed.

But don't worry. It's not just a silly decision, there's a proper reason in the plot because *spoiler alert* it turns out that Thor is forced to become a gladiator – therefore losing his hair and his trusty hammer.

Further details of what we're going to see in the upcoming movie have also been revealed, including the fact that Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has been impersonating the brothers' missing father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and that under his rule – which isn't wholly competent – Hela (Cate Blanchett) reemerges after being imprisoned.

Thor's encounter with Hela sees him blasted to Sakaar - a planet ruled by the evil Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). Tough hard-drinking warrior Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) brings the god of thunder to the Grandmaster which results in him becoming a gladiator.

Thor: Ragnarok opens in UK cinemas on October 27, 2017