After the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor, held captive on the planet Sakaar without his hammer, must win a gladiatorial duel against an old friend — the Hulk — in order to return to Asgard in time to stop the villainous Hela and the impending Ragnarök, the doom of the Asgardian civilization.
Thor: Ragnarok is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Thor, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is intended to be the sequel to 2011’s Thor and 2013’s Thor: The Dark World and the seventeenth film installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Taika Waititi with a screenplay by Eric Pearson, and stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Hopkins. In Thor: Ragnarok, Thor must defeat the Hulk in a gladiatorial duel in time to save Asgard from Hela and the coming Ragnarök.
A third Thor film was confirmed in January 2014, with the title and involvement of Hemsworth and Hiddleston announced that October. Waititi joined the film as director the next October, after Alan Taylor chose not to return from the second film, and Ruffalo joined the cast, crossing over the character Hulk from other MCU films. With the Hulk’s inclusion, elements from the 2006 comic storyline “Planet Hulk” were adapted for Ragnarok. The rest of the cast was confirmed the next May, with Pearson revealed to be involved with the film at the start of filming in July 2016. Principal photography took place from July to October, 2016, in Queensland and Sydney, Australia, with the film having exclusive use of Village Roadshow Studios in Oxenford.
Thor: Ragnarok is scheduled to be released on November 3, 2017, in IMAX.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor:
The crown prince of Asgard, based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name. Hemsworth stated that following the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ragnarok finds Thor exploring and policing the universe while enjoying being a “drifter”. Hemsworth expressed interest in having Thor interact with Bruce Banner, as the two have not had a lot of interaction previously and “it would bring something different out of the characters,” adding he hoped the film was a “[Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid] sort of story” for the duo. Director Taika Waititi said that he wanted to use more of Hemsworth’s comedic talents showcased in films like Vacation and Ghostbusters, saying, “He’s so good and underutilized in that department. He’s legitimately one of the funniest things in this film.”
Tom Hiddleston as Loki:
Thor’s adoptive brother and nemesis based on the deity of the same name. On playing the character for a fourth time, Hiddleston said he was interested in how Loki’s attitude has changed, adding “I’m four years older… and there will just be new things [I] find in it. The most exciting thing about [Loki] is that he is always a trickster. It is trying to find new ways for him to be mischievous”. Regarding the inclusion of the Hulk in the film, Hiddleston said that Loki has “a few chips on his shoulder” due to the previous interaction between the two characters in The Avengers.
Cate Blanchett as Hela:
The ruler of Hel and Niflheim, based on the deity Hel, who has been inadvertently released from her prison. About the character, Blanchett said, “She’s been locked away for millennia getting more and more cross, and then, with a mistake, she gets unleashed and she ain’t getting back in that box.” Blanchett also stated that Hela’s headdress can be used as a weapon and that she can manifest weapons from different parts of her body. She also took care to discuss with Marvel and Waititi to help define when Hela would be masked and when she would not be. Blanchett worked with stuntwoman Zoë Bell and studied capoeira in preparation for the role.
Idris Elba as Heimdall: The all-seeing, all-hearing Asgardian sentry of the Bifröst Bridge, based on the deity of the same name.
Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster:
A cosmic being fascinated with gaming and chance, who enjoys manipulating lesser life-forms and is the ruler of the planet Sakaar. Goldblum described the character as “a hedonist, a pleasure-seeker, an enjoyer of life and tastes and smells.” He also said that Waititi encouraged improvisation in order for Goldblum to “make [the character his] own”.
Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie:
A tough, hard-drinking Asgardian warrior, based on the mythological being Brynhildr, who has formed a business relationship with Grandmaster while hiding out on Sakaar. About Valkyrie’s inclusion in the film, producer Kevin Feige said, “[Thor’s] relationship with Jane [Foster] may have evolved in unexpected ways in between The Dark World and Ragnarok and we wanted to pit him against a character who was much more his equal and in many ways his superior.” Feige also stated that Valkyrie has spurned her Asgardian heritage elaborating, “Thor thinks maybe that will create a bond between them and, on the contrary, she wants to forget it all entirely.” Waititi stated that Thompson’s casting was not just about creating diversity explaining, “I’m not obsessed with the idea that you have to cast someone just to tick a box… You should cast people because they’re talented. [With Valkyrie] I wanted to make sure we weren’t making a female character that was boring and pretty. What I wanted was someone who was going to play the opposite and be even more of the ‘guy’ character than the guys.” Regarding Valkyrie’s wardrobe, Thompson said, “she’s such a bad ass that she doesn’t need a lot of metal to protect her. I’m essentially in leather.” Thompson stated that she was inspired by pictures of Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day while training for the role. Thompson will also appear in future Marvel films.
Karl Urban as Skurge:
An Asgardian warrior. Urban shaved his head and worked out for the role, though he noted that “you won’t actually see my body in this movie under the costume that I have, but it’s important for me to get into the zone and feel [the part].”
Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk:
A genius scientist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation, transforms into a monster when enraged or agitated and becomes a successful and popular gladiator on Sakaar. Ruffalo, who said he is always excited to keep returning to the role as he sees “a lot of space for it to grow”, hoped the film would explore the relationship between Banner and the Hulk, potentially with the two in a scene together. Regarding the relationship between Banner and Thor, Ruffalo said, “There’s a little bit of Midnight Run, with [Charles] Grodin and [Robert] De Niro. I feel like that’s kind of where we’re heading with this relationship between Thor and Banner.” Describing the character, Ruffalo stated, “He’s much more of a character than the green rage machine you’ve seen in the Avengers movies. He’s got a swagger. He’s like a god.” Waititi said there was “a big conversation” regarding how verbal and conscious the Hulk would be compared to previous MCU films. Waititi added that the decision was a “larger group decision, rather than anything to do with just me or the writer” since it was taking into account future appearances for the character.
Anthony Hopkins as Odin: The king of Asgard, father of Thor, and adoptive father of Loki, based on the deity of the same name.
Additionally, Benedict Cumberbatch reprises his role as Stephen Strange from the film Doctor Strange and Sam Neill is cast in an undisclosed role. Waititi makes a cameo appearance in the film.
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