Although no trailer has leaked to the public yet, fans were still treated to a juicy bit of Marvel news. Last year, it was reported that the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok would also feature the return of Bruce Banner/Hulk. Discounting his Iron Man 3 cameo, this marks the first credited appearance for Mark Ruffalo outside of an Avengers film. Based on what was revealed, it appears that those longing for a Planet Hulk film may finally get their wish. Hulk’s gladiator armor was put on display, signaling that story’s possible influence on the upcoming film.
Chris Hemsworth will once again reprise his role as Thor alongside Tom Hiddleston as Loki. Natalie Portman, who played Jane Foster in the prior Thor films, will not return for this installment. The newcomers to the MCU include Cate Blanchett, who will play antagonist Hela. It was also recently announced that Jeff Goldblum will be appearing as well. He will be playing Grandmaster, an ancient being who meddles with the cosmos through his finicky games. Karl Urban has also joined the cast as Skurge, sporting a new haircut on his Twitter page for the role.
The new adversaries were further highlighted by the reveal that Surtur will also appear in the film. The footage shown in San Diego ended with Hulk launching himself at Surtur. Inspired by the being from Norse mythology, no actor has been confirmed for the role just yet. As a fiery demon himself, it appears we will finally see a villain who can match the combined might of Hulk and Thor. Too many villains have proven problematic for superhero films but Marvel could very well be the studio to finally get it right.
If you are unfamiliar with the source material, the crux of Planet Hulk involves the green hero fighting his way through the gladiator ring. There has been little talk of a solo Hulk film so it makes logical sense to utilize him before Avengers: Infinity War. Both he and Thor were absent from Captain America: Civil War, the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Perhaps this is as close to a standalone Hulk movie we will get for quite some time.
For all the destruction inferred by the title, director Taiki Watiti has opened up about the film’s tone and humor. When asked, he stated “It’s not like broad, stupid comedy, like suddenly, ah! It’s easygoing, human comedy. It’s human humor.” Mark Ruffalo compared it to Midnight Run, signaling that we may be in for some kind of buddy/adventure film.
Also starring Anthony Hopkins and Tessa Thompson, Thor: Ragnarok opens November 3, 2017.
