From the moment Thor (Chris Hemsworth) looked at gladiator Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and smiled with delight in the first Thor: Ragnarok teaser, fans instantly knew that this franchise was about to change in a major way. Director Taika Waititi has taken the God of Thunder into a considerably more offbeat direction with his upcoming threequel, and Thor's line "We know each other! He's a friend from work!" sells that idea better than any other. That said, it turns out that the line was not in the script, and it actually came from a Make-A-Wish kid who visited the set. Chris Hemsworth explained:
We had a young kid, a Make-A-Wish kid on set that day. In between the takes I was talking with him, kind-of going back and forth. And he goes, 'You know, you should say, he's a friend from work!' So that young man actually came up with it.
You have to imagine that the kid will look back on Thor: Ragnarok as one of his favorite Marvel movies of all time. Not only did he get to visit the set of the film, but he also had a hand in coming up with one of its best lines. It's probably the most GIF-worthy moment from the entire first Ragnarok teaser, and it has handily served as one of the jokes that likely helped the movie's first trailer break online records back in April.
It's not hard to understand why Taika Waititi liked to keep things loose and improvisational on his Thor: Ragnarok set -- in fact, 95% of the film's dialogue is reportedly improv. The upcoming Marvel epic is his first real foray into the world of blockbuster filmmaking, and his previous movies (particularly What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople) similarly relied on heavy improvisation to deliver some of their best and most memorable lines. Beyond that, Taika Waititi's "Team Thor" mockumentaries have also allowed Chris Hemsworth unprecedented freedom to dive into his comedic chops and provide some off-the-cuff jokes. The guy knows offbeat improv, so this particular suggestion probably caught his interest almost immediately.
We are not surprised by Chris Hemsworth's remarks to EW, as the folks at Marvel have always had a knack for engaging with their younger fans and creating a sense of immersion. Whether it's Robert Downey Jr. delivering a bionic arm to a young fan as Tony Stark, or Chris Pratt and Chris Evans taking the time to see sick kids in hospitals, these fictional heroes seem to have taken every opportunity to show their fans that they truly care. That's what being a hero is all about, right?
Thor Odinson will bring all of his new, witty one-liners to the Marvel Cinematic Universe when Thor: Ragnarok smashes its way into theaters later this year on November 3. For now, make sure to check out Spider-Man: Homecoming, which is currently in theaters.
