As we head rapidly toward the end of Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we face the prospect of the giant franchise delivering the third instalment of a beloved, core character’s trilogy. Chris Hemsworth’s Thor has been a staple of the film series since he debuted in Phase One, in 2011, under the direction of Kenneth Branagh. After teaming with the Avengers in their first movie in 2012, he then returned in Phase Two in Alan Taylor’s Thor: The Dark World, followed by Avengers: Age Of Ultron. During these years, Iron Man and Captain America already closed out their solo trilogies, and now, it’s time for the God of Thunder to do the same with Thor: Ragnarok.
Dubbed a rip-roaring road movie that embraces the “trippy” and “cosmic” nature of the Thor comics – not to mention Greg Pak’s beloved Planet Hulk – Ragnarok will purportedly introduce us to the funniest version of Chris Hemsworth’s Asgardian yet, and much of that light-hearted fun can be traced back to the comedic interplay between the God of Thunder and Hulk. But just how did Thor get to be so funny? Well, as it turns out, one of his fellow Avengers rubbed off on him.
Chatting with Collider recently, director Taika Waititi was asked about the threequel’s comedic influences and revealed the following:
“Yeah, Thor spent two years on Earth hanging out with Robert Downey, Jr.” he explained. “So he’s got some sass. He knows a little bit more about irony and sarcasm now. He’s got a little bit of Earth humor.”
Continuing on, Waititi also cited a classic John Carpenter film as being a big influence on his vision for Thor in Ragnarok.
“We haven’t modeled it completely on this, but in my mind, I imagined a great Thor being a bit like Jack Burton from Big Trouble in Little China.” the director revealed.
After impressing viewers the world over with What We Do in the Shadows and last year’s ruddy brilliant Hunt for the Wilderpeople – for the record, its breakout star Julian Dennison has since landed a key role in Deadpool 2 – Waititi’s next directorial effort will be on our screens on November 3rd. The New Zealand director has a knack for cameos, too, so keep your peepers peeled for him (and Stan Lee!) when Ragnarok hits theaters.
