Yesterday saw the first images from Thor: Ragnarok arrive, and the overall theme was of a franchise in transition. Chris Hemsworth is sporting a new look, iand ncoming director Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) has promised more of a light, comic approach to the thunder god's latest adventure which has been described as a buddy comedy in the vein of 48 Hours and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. But wait...if that's the case then who is Thor's partner-in-crime?
The answer is Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, or so we've been led to believe. However he's nowhere to be found in these plot details made available by EW, which is a little odd. Perhaps his role isn't as big as we thought?
When we last saw Thor, he was flying off to figure out who was manipulating the Avengers at the end of ‘Age of Ultron’. Eventually, he hears rumblings of trouble in Asgard: His evil brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), has been impersonating their missing father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Loki’s rather lax governing leads to the reemergence of an imprisoned Hela (Cate Blanchett). Thor’s initial encounter with Hela gets him blasted to Sakaar, a barbaric planet ruled by the charming but nefarious Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), a tough, hard-drinking warrior hiding out on Sakaar brings the god to the Grandmaster. Thor is then forced into becoming a gladiator, which leads to his haircut and the loss of his trusty hammer.
In the same way that Logan was a reworked version of the "Old Man Logan" storyline, Thor: Ragnarok is a twist on the popular "Planet Hulk" series, except with Thor in the lead. Interesting move, but does that mean we're getting World War Thor as the next movie? IF there's a next movie? Thor franchises don't usually go beyond three, after all.
Thor: Ragnarok opens November 3rd.
