Jeff Goldblum and Karl Urban Join THOR: RAGNAROK, Plus A Piece of Concept Art
Not long ago, a story made the rounds about how Jurassic Park and Independence Day star Jeff Goldblum may join a superhero movie, and now we know what all that was about. Marvel has just announced that Goldblum and Star Trek star Karl Urban have joined the cast of Marvel Studios' Thor: Ragnarok, and the site confirms the addition of the previously-reported Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, and Mark Ruffalo.
Goldblum will play "the eccentric Grandmaster," Urban "will add his might to the fray as Skurge," Thompson "will bring the classic hero Valkyrie to life on the big screen," and Blanchett is confirmed to be playing "the mysterious and powerful new villain Hela." That's a lot to digest, so let's break it down piece by piece:
The Grandmaster is a virtually immortal being, one of the oldest in the universe. From Marvel's wiki:
The Grandmaster has spent his extraordinary long life in pursuit of amusement through the playing of games. He has traveled throughout the known universe studying many civilizations’ forms of games and play to the point of mastering them. He then began to devise his own types of tournaments and contests, challenging various opponents to games of skill and chance for high stakes.
Those games typically include combat, so it wouldn't surprise me if The Grandmaster is the one pulling the strings (SPOILER ALERT) on the gladiatorial planet on which Thor finds The Hulk.
Valkyrie seems too complicated to quickly sum up here, so check out her wiki page if you're interested. Suffice it to say, I'm stoked that Thompson will be playing this character.
Skurge is one of Asgard's greatest warriors, and an executioner who, in the comics, is sent to kill Thor's love interest, Jane Foster. Read more about him here.
We already know all about Blanchett's Hela, and if you need a refresher, click here.
Kevin Feige had this to say:
“The continuation of the epic Thor franchise will be powerful and unique, and with the additions of Cate, Jeff, Tessa, Karl, and Mark to the cast we have the makings of his most dangerous and heroic adventure yet,” said Producer Kevin Feige. “The sheer, raw talent each of these actors brings to the screen can’t be quantified. Having any one of them join the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be an honor, and having all of them is incredible."
Here's a piece of concept art from the movie:
I think the Thor movies are the weakest part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far, but this casting makes me very excited about the idea of watching Thor: Ragnarok (a feat I didn't think was possible). Thor: Ragnarok hits theaters on November 3, 2017.