Top 10 Need to Know Facts About Thor: Ragnarok

When the title for the third film in the “Thor” series was officially announced, many fans asked the same question: “Ragna-what?” According to Norse mythology, Ragnarok translates to “Twilight of the Gods,” which references a catastrophic event that results in the deaths of Thor, Loki, Odin, and other gods. Although Ragnarok means “the end of all things,” it also stands for the beginning. After disaster strikes, two human survivors repopulate the earth while a new generation of gods assembles. In that sense, “Ragnarok,” could be alluding to the end of the “Thor” trilogy. It also might be hinting at the end of Phase Three in the MCU, which will mark the “conclusion” of a 22-movie arc.

“Thor: Ragnarok” brings together the God of Thunder and the Incredible Hulk. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the movie combines multiple comic book storylines. It naturally takes a few pages from a story ark where Thor must save Asgard from Ragnarok. It additionally borrows heavily from “Contest of Champions,” in which the Grandmaster and Death pit several powerful beings against each other. There’s also a bit of “The Surtur Saga” where Thor and Loki join forces to stop the fire demon. On top of all that, the film draws inspiration from the “Planet Hulk” comics, in which the Big Green Dude winds up on an alien world and becomes a gladiator.

Since Ragnarok is largely about rebuilding and starting anew, it’s only fitting that the third “Thor” movie will be different from its predecessors in regards to tone. According to director Taika Wa ititi, “Thor: Ragnarok” is “the most ‘out there’ of all the Marvel movies.” He additionally noted that his film would have the essence of a “’70s/’80s sci-fi fantasy,” particularly “Big Trouble in Little China.” In an interview with Empire, star Mark Ruffalo described the flick as a “a universal road movie.” In other words, we can expect something along the lines of “48 Hrs.” or “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” but with superheroes.

As mentioned before, “Thor: Ragnarok” will be helmed by Taika Waititi, who scored an Oscar nomination for his 2004 short film, “Two Cars, One Night” and most recently directed “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and the vampire mockumentary “What We Do in the Shadows” – in which he also co-starred. Waititi beat out several established filmmakers for this high-profile gig, including Ruben Fleischer of “Zombieland,” Rob Letterman of “Goosebumps,” and Rawson Marshall Thurber of “DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story.” Out of all the trilogies in the MCU, “Thor” is the only one that’s had a different director for each movie. The great Kenneth Branagh directed the original film while Alan Taylor got behind the camera for “Thor: The Dark World.” That’s one way to keep things fresh.

In the old days, all you needed was Lou Ferrigno and some green makeup to portray the Incredible Hulk. For “Thor: Ragnarok,” however, it took an army. Outside of actor Mark Ruffalo’s motion-capture performance, bringing the Hulk to life on set involved the assistance of multiple crewmembers. One person donned a backpack with a lengthy pole coming out of it. A bust of the Hulk’s head and shoulders resided on top of the pole, providing a reference point for the actors. Meanwhile, Steve Romm AKA “Green Steve” acted as a physical substitute for scenes in which the Hulk was eventually added digitally. As his nickname suggests, the job also entailed being painted totally green.

“Ragnarok” picks up four years after Thor’s last solo outing and two years after his previous team up with the Avengers. A mid-credits scene in “Doctor Strange” gave us an idea of what Thor’s been up to lately, as he asked the Sorcerer Supreme to help him find Odin. Bruce Banner, meanwhile, disappeared following “Age of Ultron” and has reportedly been in Hulk mode throughout this two-year gap. Producer Brad Winderbaum has mentioned that things happen on top of each other in Phase Three of the MCU. This might explain why Thor and the Hulk were both absent from 2016’s “Civil War,” but their reunion in the gladiator ring should more than compensate for that.

Earlier in 2017, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist united to take down the Hand in “The Defenders.” Ironically, though, none of those four characters were part of the original Defenders in the comics. Meanwhile, “Thor: Ragnarok” features two of the group’s founding members: Doctor Strange and the Hulk. Actress Tessa Thompson also appears in the film as the Asgardian warrior Valkyrie, who is frequently part of the Defenders’ lineup on the printed page. Alas, it appears that Namor and Silver Surfer are still MIA from the MCU.

Hela will finally make her big screen debut in “Thor: Ragnarok,” although this interpretation will be a little different from her comic book counterpart. While she’ll still resemble the classic character in many respects, Hela will also have a great deal in common with Gorr the God Butcher, who possesses the ability to manifest infinite weapons. Changes aside, we can’t think of a more qualified actress to play this villain than Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett. Speaking of which, Blanchett’s youngest son, Ignatius Martin Upton, will also pop up in a cameo role. When your mother is the goddess of death, it’s bound to have a few perks.

While the first two Thor movies received generally positive reviews, the human characters seemed to divide critics and audiences. Some enjoyed the romantic relationship between Thor and Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster, as well as the comedic relief from Stellan Skarsgård’s Erik and Kat Dennings’ Darcy. Others, however, argued that these characters just felt unnecessary after a while. Marvel apparently agreed with these complaints. According to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, Thor and Jane broke up between “The Dark World” and “Ragnarok” and her the rest of the human crew won’t be returning in this film.

“Avengers: Infinity War” comes out in 2018 while a fourth “Avengers” film, previously entitled “Infinity War – Part 2,” hits theaters in 2019. Speaking with The Toronto Sun, Kevin Feige stated, “Things change drastically in ‘Ragnarok’ and then build directly into ‘Infinity War.’” Star Chris Hemsworth additionally mentioned in a Collider interview that Ragnarok bleeds nicely into those films. While the filmmakers have been careful not to divulge any major spoilers, it’s safe to assume that Thor’s search for information on the Infinity Stones will play a role in linking these movies together. In any case, “Ragnarok” further sets the stage for both the beginning of the end and the start of a new beginning.