First Look At Tessa Thompson On Thor: Ragnarok

Today, Taika Waititi took to Facebook to livestream behind-the-scenes footage from the Thor: Ragnarok set. The New Zealand director teamed up with Chris Hemsworth to give fans a look at the set, and the preview gave audiences their first look at Tessa Thompson on-set.

The video eventually pans over to Tessa Thompson who will play Valkyrie in the film. Fans can see the actress with her hair tied back, and her face is decorated with intricate white paint. Thompson holds a brief interview with Chris Hemsworth who is decidedly out of his Thor costume, and fans can see the two have filming on a very cluttered set.

Waititi’s impromptu video has now given fans their first look at Thompson in partial costume. Earlier this year, fans learned the actress had been cast in Thor: Ragnarok, and it wasn’t long before comic book readers began to speculate about her role. Marvel Studios ended their wonderment when they confirmed Thompson was playing Valkyrie named Brunnhilde.

If you’re not familiar with the character, then you should know Brunnhilde is the leader of the Valkyrior. Comic book readers also know her as a member of the Avengers and the Defenders, making her a versatile heroine within the Marvel Universe. Thompson’s character is said to be leading an army of Valkyries in Thor: Ragnarok during a battle against Hela.

Of course, comic book fans will also note Thompson looks a bit different from the original Valkyrie. Marvel Comics depicts the Asgardian warrior with blonde hair and blue eyes, but Waititi said he didn’t believe the character’s traditional appearance should prevent POC actors from assuming the role.

“Right from the start we wanted to diversify the cast, and it’s hard when you’re working with Vikings. You want to be more inclusive and provide a broader representation,” Waititi told Comic Book Resources. “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.

“People forget that. Die-hard fans will say, ‘That’s not really authentic to the comics,’ but as soon as they watch the movie, and they’re involved in the story, and actually what’s happening, everybody forgets. The fact that we even have to keep having this conversation is ridiculous, because we keep forgetting. Unless it’s the topic of the film, it just shouldn’t even be — what do we even care?

“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.”

Earlier this year, fans were teased about Thompson’s Valkyrie role when she posted a photo of her character’s sword on Instagram. The actress shared the picture to celebrate Day 18 of filming, and she confessed she had the bruises to prove how badass her character was.

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

[H/T] Twitter