Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok practically became one of the most exciting Phase 3 movies overnight after it announced a cast that included Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, and Jeff Goldblum. With Taika Watiti at the helm, Thor's third outing looks to be a memorable one. Jeff Goldblum will be playing a villainous character called the Grandmaster, whose got some pretty wild comic backstory. As such, Goldblum is doing his homework and took the courtesy to share his reading material on Instagram.
Goldblum posted a picture of himself to Instagram, showing that he's reading a particular Thor comic book in order to get ready for the role of the Grandmaster. After all, Goldblum is, in his own words, "nothing if not conscientious." This pic is either Goldblum's attempt to show that he's really diving deep into the world of Thor or he's throwing fans a bone and teasing a possible storyline for the movie.
The actual comic he's reading is The Mighty Thor #374. The issue has absolutely nothing to do with the Grandmaster, but it does feature Hela, Cate Blanchett's main villain. In the issue, Hela cursed Thor with brittle bones that will never heal once broken and unending life - meaning that the always battle-ready Thor has to think twice about leaping into combat or he'll spend eternity as a broken mess. This could be a hint that Thor will be cursed by Hela in some manner in Ragnarok. Or that Goldblum is simply reading an issue that features both characters. X-Factor (a sub-team of the X-Men) also guest star in that issue, so maybe it shouldn't be taken too seriously.
Goldblum does have a bit of research ahead of him for his role as the Grandmaster, who's one of the more "out there" Marvel characters. The Grandmaster is a cosmic being known as an Elder of the Universe (like the Collector from Guardians of the Galaxy) and is super intelligent and powerful. One of the oldest beings in the universe, the Grandmaster is a master of games of skill and chance. His favorite pastime is taking two teams and pitting them against each other. If there's anybody who can put Hulk in space and make him fight Thor, it's this guy.
In addition to Goldblum and the other new cast members, Thor: Ragnarok will also feature plenty of older characters. Idris Elba and Anthony Hopkins return, as well as Tumblr's favorite person, Tom Hiddleston. Of course, Chris Hemsworth is reprising his role as Thor and he'll be joined by Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. The film's plot is still being kept under wraps but set photos of Thor and Loki in New York and the Hulk's gladiator armor do provide some interesting clues.
Thor: Ragnarok is scheduled to hit theaters on November 3, 2017.
