As the highly anticipated release of Thor: Ragnarok draws ever closer, we’re hearing more and more from the cast and crew about all the ways in which this is not your typical Marvel movie. This is particularly important because, in the context of solo series within the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor has always been somewhat wide of the mark in terms of excellence.
While Thor and Thor: The Dark World were entertaining enough, they both felt as though they lacked a little something, or as if something were being held back. Well, during the shoot for Thor: Ragnarok, Cate Blanchett was on hand to explain to the press exactly why things are different this time around.
“It’s like Chris has harnessed all the energy of the previous films and is using that. Then also subverting it, which is really, it was really thrilling to watch so it was really helpful for me to know ‘OK, we can stretch it that far.’ And you’re in such safe hands with Taika tonally, you know, having seen all his other films is that you, you know, 3/4 of it may get chucked out but you’ve got to chuck it out there in order to find that little gem, you know? That’s what play is, you know? And sometimes, on some sets, you can feel that that’s not really possible.”
These comments are incredibly well thought out and planned. The Academy Award winning actress – playing the first central female villain in the MCU – takes pains to pay tribute to the previous two Thor instalments, while making clear that Thor: Ragnarok is a subversion of what’s gone before. This is exactly what we can see in the trailers released so far, and this is exactly what makes the very idea of this movie so thrilling.
Blanchett also touches upon the notion of improvisation, and makes clear that there was plenty of ad-libbing going on during filming. This is also very reassuring – specifically because this approach plays to the strengths of director Taika Waititi, who’s previously delivered such gems as What We Do In The Shadows, and Hunt For The Wilderpeople. Truly, his own cameo as a priest in the latter is a masterclass in cinematic improv – and if even a little of that quality is present in the upcoming threequel, then Marvel already has a bona fide home run on their hands.
Thor: Ragnarok arrives in theatres on November 3rd.
