It’s Thor vs. Hulk in the first Thor: Ragnarok trailer
The first Thor: Ragnarok trailer debuts this morning to kick off our week with a strange, exciting, funny peek at the upcoming Marvel movie. Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, myself included, have been curious to pull back the curtain on director Taika Waititi‘s Planet Hulk-inspired entry into the expanding franchise, and the first trailer proves to be worth the wait. Not only does it tip viewers off balance from the get-go, but it then proceeds to hit all the off notes in all the right ways. What’s going on here? Why’s it all feel so whacky and welcome? While the trailer is short and sweet, it hints at a movie that’s full of life and color, which is a staple of Waititi’s work (What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople). November can’t come soon enough.
Watch the first official trailer for Thor: Ragnarok after the jump.
What a weird preview, right? Definitely a different tone and texture than casual moviegoers are expecting from a blockbuster Marvel movie these days I’m sure, but I think ever since James Gunn cannonballed into the water with Guardians of the Galaxy the MCU has been open to different as long as it sells. Waititi has been proving his brand of different works for more than a decade as a director, so it’s great to see him enthusiastically expanding his resume with Marvel. There’s no doubt in my mind that Thor: Ragnarok will open one or two beyond-lucrative doors for the director, and he seems like the kind of guy who enjoys creating unique, genuinely enjoyable movies.
As for Thor and his third standalone film, it looks like the god of thunder is in trouble. Did we just see Mjolnir (Thor’s hammer) get crushed and watch Asgard be destroyed? Who’s this Hela character played by Cate Blanchett, and why is she so strong? And that’s before all the Planet Hulk/gladiator Thor stuff! I’m not terribly familiar with the source material, but it looks like Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster runs an otherworldly gladiator racket, and Thor’s one of the contenders. That expression of recognition when Thor sees Hulk enter the ring is golden! Plus, if you remember the first photos of Thor: Ragnarok we saw last month, Thor and Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner also get to happily reunite, so here’s hoping we get plenty of back and forth from the dynamic duo.
Here’s a plot synopsis for Thor: Ragnarok:
Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok – the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization – at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger – The Incredible Hulk!”
Thor: Ragnarok stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Tessa Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Jaimie Alexander, Karl Urban, Jeff Goldblum, Ray Stevenson, and Sam Neill. The upcoming Marvel movie hits theaters on November 3, 2017.
