'Thor: Ragnarok': Miek's Radical Redesign Explained

Thor: Ragnarok was filled with a number of colorful characters lifted straight from the pages of Marvel comics, yet one character that was nearly unrecognizable compared to the comic book counterpart was the insectoid Miek. According to concept artist Tully Summers, he had designed a background character that was inspired by a caterpillar, with the studio seeing enough similarities to Miek to make the character an official adaptation.

"I originally designed this character as a background gladiator," the artist shared on his ArtStation portfolio. "I was exploring how someone not really suited for combat could hold their own in the arena, and came up with a bladed mech suit for a caterpillar. They liked the concept enough to pick him as Miek, Korg's buddy."

Miek's origins were slightly different in his original appearances, as he was an insectoid inhabitant of the planet of Sakaar, though he was enslaved by the planet's Red King. The gladiator became allies with Hulk and ultimately freed many of his own brothers, who also quickly joined Hulk's side.

Another character that was ripped from the pages of Marvel comics and incorporated into the film was the Asgardian Skurge, played by Karl Urban. Unlike Miek, Skurge's on-screen appearance mimicked his comics aesthetic completely, including his dual-wielding of machine guns.

Skurge ultimately sacrificed himself to save his fellow Asgardians from Hela, though Urban isn't ruling out a comeback for the character.

"That's a good question," Urban shared with ComicBook.com. "Firstly, I just had such a fantastic time working on Thor. A lot of laughs. You know, I think they actually explored in the comics the afterlife and brought a couple of those characters back, including him. So, if the opportunity presented itself, I absolutely would love to come back and play Skurge again. He's such a fun character, and if not, then I'm very good with where it ended because it was a great little arc."

While Skurge might not have survived Ragnarok, the fate of Miek is unknown. He ultimately survived the film, though we later saw Thanos and his Black Order board the Asgardian ship and kill many on board. Whether or not Miek survived this encounter or Thanos' deadly snap, which eradicated half of the universe's population, is yet to be determined.

Fans will likely see Miek's fate when Avengers 4 lands in theaters on May 3, 2019.

Do you like the new design of Miek or prefer his original look? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T ArtStation]