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.
- According to Kevin Feige, this film will play a significant role in setting up Avengers: Infinity War 2019)
- In Norse mythology, Ragnarok is translated as “Twilight of the Gods”. The myth tells of the eventual destruction of the universe and mankind as well as the deaths of several key figures in Norse Mythology such as the gods Odin, Thor, Loki, Heimdall, Freyr, Sol and Tyr and the monsters/jotun Fenrir and Jörmungandr; a new generation of gods, the children of Odin, Thor and Sol specifically, will take the place of the old ones as the cycle of the world starts anew.
- Chris Hemsworth has to bulk up again for his role as the mighty god Thor. He has to follow a strict diet and workout 6-7 times a week, and eat around 6000 calories a day.
- Chapter Five of Phase Three in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- Chris Hemsworth trainer Luke Zocchi revealed that Hemsworth put on 20 pounds of muscle for his role in the film taking his weight over 200 pounds for the filming by following an ‘old-school bodybuilding regime lifting a large weight-load for small number of reps’. Zocchi revealed Hemsworth’s favorite body part to train was his biceps saying, ‘We design the workout around the body parts he’s gonna be showing off the most, he’s gonna have his arms and shoulders showing (through the sleeveless armor), so that’s the thing we really focus on building up. He probably bicep curls 30 kilo dumbbells on average, each hand, so 120 pounds total. We always do seated incline curls, standing curls, and hammer curls. We started lighter and slowly, progressively get heavier.’ Zocchi said they are trying to deliver Hemsworth’s best physique yet for this film.
- Since the Infinity Gauntlet’s first appearance in Thor (2011) it is unknown if Thanos will also make an appearance, due to the fact that the film will set up Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 & Part 2.
- Set to be filmed in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
- Cate Blanchett accepted a role in this movie to please her children, who are Marvel comics fans. One of Blanchett’s sons, Ignatius Martin Upton, acquired a cameo role.
- This is the first film that Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum have appeared in together since Jurassic Park (1993).
- Thor is the only Marvel Studios franchise to have three different directors for each film: Kenneth Branagh directed Thor (2011), Alan Taylor directed Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Taika Waititi directed this film.
- Mark Ruffalo has hinted that his appearance in Ragnarok will primarily be as Hulk, not as Bruce Banner and The Hulk equally, as it has been in his previous appearances in the MCU
- It is rumored that this film will be the last Thor film.
- On his Instagram account, Mark Ruffalo referred to his motion capture suit as his “legendary man canceling suit”.
- The studio hired Taika Waititi over Ruben Fleischer, Rob Letterman and Rawson Marshall Thurber to direct the film. Fleischer and Thurber were also candidates to direct Ant-Man, another Marvel Cinematic Universe film after Edgar Wright dropped out.
- Taika Waititi wanted to feature a cameo by Corpsman Rhomann Dey from Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
- Chris Hemsworth will reprise his role as Thor. In addition, Tom Hiddleston will also reprise his role as well as Loki in the third installment of the Thor franchise. Idris Elba will also reprise his role as Heimdall in the third installment of the Thor franchise.
- It will be the first Thor movie without Jane Foster and her team, which has infuriated many fans of the Thor-Jane romance and the comedic pair Darcy and Erik Selvig.
- Four of the male cast have starred in at least one Star Trek movie:
Urban (Skurge) plays Dr McCoy in Star Trek (2009) and onwards. Hemsworth (Thor) was Lt George Kirk in Star Trek (2009) and Untitled Star Trek Sequel. Cumberbatch (Dr Strange) was in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Elba (Heimdall) was in Star Trek Beyond (2016) - Thor’s first appearance on film was as second lead in a Hulk-centered film: The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988).
- Jaimie Alexander stated in an interview that she may not appear in the film as Lady Sif, due to her commitment on the TV series Blindspot (2015).
- In the comics, Valkyrie rides a winged horse named Aragorn. Aragorn is a major hero in the J.R.R. Tolkien-Peter Jackson film series “The Lord of the Rings”, and Cate Blanchett (Hela) and Karl Urban (Skurge) played Aragorn’s allies Galadriel and Eomer.
- In the comics and Norse myth, Valkyrie was a blonde white Viking warrior woman. In this film, she is played by African-American actress Tessa Thompson. According to director Taika Waititi, this was a deliberate decision to diversify the film: “You’re working with comic-book Vikings, so you have to look at the source material as a very loose inspiration. A character’s skin tone and hair color doesn’t matter… I think the story is king, and you want the best person for the job. And Tessa was the best person.”
- The film takes place after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).
- Along with Iron Man, Thor is the only other Marvel Studios franchise to have three different composers for each film: Patrick Doyle scored Thor (2011), Brian Tyler scored Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Mark Mothersbaugh scored this film.
- This film releases in 2017, the the 55th anniversary of the debut of Thor (August 1962) and The Incredible Hulk (May 1962) as well as the centennial of their co-creator Jack Kirby.
- This marks the third time that Sam Neill and Samuel L. Jackson have appeared in the same cinematic universe without ever having a scene together. Neill appeared in The Hunt for Red October (1990), while Jackson appeared in the sequel, Patriot Games (1992). The two also both appeared in Jurassic Park (1993).
- Cate Blanchett and Karl Urban are the fourth and fifth actors from the “Lord of the Rings” film series to also appear in a film featuring the Incredible Hulk.
John Rhys-Davies (Gimli) appeared in The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989) as the Kingpin.
Liv Tyler (Arwen) appeared in The Incredible Hulk (2008) as Betty Ross and Andy Serkis (Gollum) appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) as Klaue. - Tessa Thompson will be the first African American woman to play a Norse God.
- Tom Hiddleston announced that this will be his last film playing Loki.
- Charlize Theron was considered for the role of Hela.
- Jeff Goldblum starred with Chris Hemsworth’s brother – Liam Hemsworth – in “Independence Day: Resurgence” (2016).
- The previous two films in the series featured Stellan Skarsgård, who appeared in The Hunt for Red October (1990) with Sam Neill.
