Thor: Ragnarok Will Feature Plenty Of Jeff Goldblum Improvisation

As if we weren’t excited enough already, Jeff Goldblum has been busy teasing his work in Thor: Ragnarok, which finally rolls into theatres on November 3rd. With acclaimed director Taika Waititi at the helm, the cast that has assembled for this third Thor instalment is impressive to say the least, and among many others, it includes Academy Award nominee Jeff Goldblum in the role of the Grandmaster. While Goldblum is no stranger to big budget projects, having previously starred in Jurassic Park and Independence Day, Thor: Ragnarok marks his first real foray into the superhero arena. It seems that did not stand in the way of his improvisational skills, though.

The actor recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly to promote his upcoming three-week guest host spot on the National Geographic’s TV series, Explorer. In amongst an array of topics – such as psychology, cultural difference and the work of Wes Anderson – Goldblum also shared an insight into what we can expect from The Grandmaster in Thor: Ragnarok.

“When we first talked, [Waititi] said, “I want you to do your particular version of this character without being comic-y or grandiloquent. I think you should do something that’s in your creative family tree. And also improvise.” He was very interested in improvisation. We came to all those scenes and riffed enjoyably for the time we had. I don’t know what’s gonna come out in the mix because we gave him a whole bunch of different choices, I’ll tell you that. He’s great. Taika Waititi gets 10 Goldblums out of a possible 10 Goldblums.”

Thor: Ragnarok promises an interstellar adventure of cosmic proportions, as the Asgardian warrior finds himself forced into potentially lethal gladiatorial matches on another planet. Crossing paths with former colleague Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor must work to free himself and save his home and people from the terrifying wrath of Hela (Cate Blanchett). In his way, it seems, is the Grandmaster, who’s in some kind of association with Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

From the little we’ve seen of Jeff Goldblum’s performance in the Thor: Ragnarok teaser trailer, it’s clear that we’ll be seeing his trademark naturalistic style – which, combined with the idea of improvisation, suggests a Grandmaster who is charming and disarming, in addition to being true to his status as one of the oldest, most intelligent, most powerful beings in the universe. In his interview, he also confirmed that he “didn’t have scenes with Cate Blanchett,” which is interesting in and of itself. While Blanchett’s character in Thor: Ragnarok is the villainous goddess Hela, the Grandmaster is also a character whose agenda leans more toward the nefarious, as opposed to the virtuous.

How many foes will Thor have to battle through before he can attempt to win the day and save Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok? Several, it seems. But, with Jeff Goldblum improvising as one of them, it’s going to be brilliant fun to watch.