If you think Thor: Ragnarok looks like a reinvention of the franchise, then you're not alone. Many people have praised the early glimpses at the film for the new direction the series appears to be going in, and that concept was apparently quite noticeable on the set as well. In fact, Cate Blanchett opened up to CinemaBlend and other outlets during a Thor: Ragnarok set visit in Australia last year and admitted that the on-set freedom imbued the new Thor film with a renewed sense of energy and creativity. The Hela actress explained:
It's like Chris has harnessed all the energy of the previous films and is using that. Then also subverting it, which is really, it was really thrilling to watch so it was really helpful for me to know 'OK, we can stretch it that far.' And you're in such safe hands with Taika tonally, you know, having seen all his other films is that you, you know, 3/4 of it may get chucked out but you've got to chuck it out there in order to find that little gem, you know? That's what play is, you know? And sometimes, on some sets, you can feel that that's not really possible.
So, while franchise star Chris Hemsworth appears to be utilizing the aspects of Thor Odinson that have worked in previous films, it also sounds like there's a much bigger emphasis on making left turns with the character in this movie. Based on what Cate Blanchett had to say about the project, it seems that much of production process involved pushing established concepts of the Thor universe as far as they can go, and aiming for a more offbeat and comedic sensibility (something that Hemsworth has wanted for quite some time) whenever possible.
Much of that offbeat sensibility likely stems from the fact that a substantial amount of the film's dialogue ("80%," according to the director) is a result of improvisation -- which is not necessarily a standard practice for a tentpole blockbuster like this. In fact, Marvel veteran Mark Ruffalo even admitted that he was shocked by the amount of improv they got away with while working on the film.
Having cut his teeth on smaller scale comedies, Taika Waititi has become relatively well-known for indie projects that employ quite a bit of improvisation -- such as What We Do In The Shadows and the Team Thor short film that debuted near the release of Captain America: Civil War. Although Cate Blanchett seems to think that three-quarters of the stuff that they tried eventually got thrown out, that last quarter is where they found the extraordinary bits of story and character moments.
Need more proof? Take a look at a trailer for the film below to see the franchise's renewed sense of energy.
We will get to see this new and improved Thor franchise for ourselves when Thor: Ragnarok smashes its way into theaters later this year on November 3. If you're looking for more information about all of the other films set to debut this year (superhero or not), then make sure to take a look at CinemaBlend's comprehensive 2017 movie premiere guide and get your moviegoing calendars filled out!
