Thor: Ragnarok Director Says Conversations Are Happening About A Verbal Hulk

Last month, Mark Ruffalo let out a tantalzing nugget regarding his role in Thor: Ragnarok when he said, “The Banner/Hulk consciousness is beginning to meld a little bit.” From that, we can assume that The Hulk will probably be spitting out more gems like the “Puny God” line from The Avengers. However, director Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows) says that element is still being discussed.

“It’s interesting, because at the moment, there’s a big conversation that’s happening about how far to push that. Whether or not The Hulk should be [verbal/conscious],” Waititi told HitFix at the Sundance Film Festival. “I think a lot of those conversations have more to do with what’s going to come up in future movies. So I think a lot of those decisions are larger group decisions, rather than anything to do with just me or the writer. They have a lot of stuff that they have to consider. But I do think that’s the best way to track it. I think we all want that. I think we all want to see that development and the evolution of that character. I also think you can do it in a fun way.”

There has been a growing concern that the Thor sequel will be filled with far too much humor for a film with Ragnarok (aka “The Doom of the Gods”) in its title. In the Marvel universe, Ragnarok is an apocalyptic event in which the realm of Asgard unknowingly experience an endless cycle of death and rebirth. Of course tragedy can make for comedic fodder, but pushing it too far can spoil the dramatic moments.

“It’s not going to be a crazy comedy, like over the top,” Waititi assured. “But that’s definitely my strength and that’s what they were looking for when they approached me. So, I think that is the thing I can bring to it to give it a different spin and freshen it up a bit.”

Tom Hiddleston’s Loki has shined in the previous Thor films, but Waititi wants to make sure the God of Thunder grabs the spotlight this time around. “My focus really is making sure that Thor is the best character, though,” the New Zealand filmmaker said, then HitFix pointed out that hasn’t quite been achieved yet. “Yeah, well that is my goal! Because he’s got to be. And it should be that way.”

Thor: Ragnarok will star Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/The Hulk). It’ll be directed by Taika Waititi, based on a script by Christopher Yost, Craig Kyle and Stephany Folsom.

Thor: Ragnarok will be released on November 3, 2017.