In November, Thor will make his long-awaited return when Marvel Studios dishes out the hero’s third standalone. Thor: Ragnarok will bring the Asgardian into conflict with the goddess Hela who has resurfaced under Loki’s lax reign. The blockbuster will introduce the villainess who is played by Cate Blanchett, but the actress is not the only newcomer being added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Other stars will brining characters like Grandmaster and Valkyrie to life on-screen. And, in a recent interview, Chris Hemsworth dished on how the latter character will fit into Thor: Ragnarok.
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Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Hemsworth explained how his character Thor runs into the beautiful and equally deadly warrior. The star said he encounters Valkyrie on the planet Sakaar after his first run-in with Hela sends him to the desolate world. The magazine then described Tessa Thompson‘s character, saying she is “a tough, hard-drinking warrior hiding out on Sakaar” who ultimately “brings the god to the Grandmaster.”
“Thor is a bit of a fanboy for the Valkyrie, the elite women warriors,” Hemsworth said, and the fact isn’t a surprising one.
In the comics, Valkyrie is a character worth admiring. The heroine, whose birth name is Brunhilde, was chosen by Odin to lead the Valkyrior. The all-female team would sends its warriors to bring worthy slain souls to the gates of Valhalla should they be worthy. From what Entertainment Weekly writes, it seems Valkyrie has fallen off her comic book pedestal thanks to her time on Sakaar. The heroine doesn’t appear to be too friendly with Thor at first, but there will be plenty of time for Thompson to turn the character around.
As for the actress, she will be the first to bring Valkyrie to life in live-action. When the casting announcement was made, another bout of controversy was raised when some comic book fans questioned why Valkyrie would be played by an African-American actress. However, in an interview with CBR, director Taika Waititi said Thompson nabbed the role because she was the right person for the job.
“Right from the start we wanted to diversify the cast, and it’s hard when you’re working with Vikings. [Laughs.] You want to be more inclusive and provide a broader representation,” Waititi said. “And at that point, you have to look at the source material as a very loose inspiration. And then take it from there and go with your gut. Say, “You know what? None of that stuff matters. Just because the character was blonde and white in the comic book. That doesn’t matter. That’s not what [that character] is about.
“I think the story is king, and you want the best person for the job. And Tessa tested against — we cast a very broad net, and Tess was the best person.”
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Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok – the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization – at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger – The Incredible Hulk!”
Thor: Ragnarok is directed by Taika Waititi and returns Chris Hemsworth starring as Thor and Tom Hiddleston reprising his role as Loki. They are joined by Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson and Karl Urban, with Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Hopkins.
The movie will open in theaters November 3, 2017.
