With Marvel's Phase 3 in full swing, we cannot begin to describe how excited we are to see the Thor franchise branch off into new territory. Avengers: Age of Ultron teased a wholly unique experience for Thor: Ragnarok, and as such the series will soon turn in a very different direction from what we've seen before. That being said, new rumors near the production indicate that the film will still feature some very familiar (and welcome) faces. It looks like you can prepare yourselves for more of The Warriors Three in the very near future.
It seems that Chris Hemsworth's Thor Odinson will have quite a bit of help during the events of Thor: Ragnarok outside of Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner a.k.a Hulk. Tadanobu Asano and Ray Stevenson, respectively known for playing Hogun the Grim and Volstagg the Voluminous, have both been spotted in Australia near the production of Thor: Ragnarok. According to ComicBook.com, neither actor has specifically been seen on set or in costume, but their mutual proximity to the filming of the next Thor movie has many people under the assumption that they're at least partially involved in the project. This means that we can likely expect to see an appearance by the beloved Warriors Three when the film finally premieres. Stevenson also got a tattoo "in between filming THOR," according to this post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BI_0njohEe6/?taken-by=punkturedtattoo
With two members of the legendary trio now accounted for, this leaves Zachary Levi as the one member of The Warriors Three not sighted near the set of Thor: Ragnarok. Although no outlets have reported his presence, Levi himself has implied his involvement in the production of Ragnarok, leading us to believe that he will indeed reprise his role as Fandral the Dashing alongside the other members of The Warriors Three.
Now that we can likely assume that The Warriors Three will return in Thor: Ragnarok, all eyes are on Jaimie Alexander to return as Lady Sif to round out Thor's entourage. The Blindspot actress has maintained a pivotal role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as far back as the original Thor movie -- she even made appearances on television with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D -- and the likelihood of The Warriors Three returning makes us fairly confident that she will take up her sword and shield again as well. After all, it's been far too long since we last saw Lady Sif act like her truly badass self.
Bringing back these iconic characters to the Thor mythos will go a long way towards maintaining the continuity of the Asgardian hero's franchise. We already know that Ragnarok will stand apart from the other Thor films by keeping the action off of Earth and getting rid of Natalie Portman's Jane Foster as Thor's love interest. However, director Taika Waititi seems to have recognized what actually works in the Thor franchise and kept the best elements in place. Thor's rapport with The Warriors Three always served as one of the strongest aspects in the entire series (as well as provided some of the best laughs) and fans will undoubtedly love to see that relationship continue into new territory.
We will bring you more Thor: Ragnarok news as more information becomes available to is. The Asgardian's third solo movie will blast into theaters next fall on November 3, 2017. Stay tuned for more details!
