Director Taika Waititi Explains How THOR: RAGNAROK Was Inspired by BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA
One of the things that we've heard a lot is that Thor: Ragnarok will include a good amount of humor. Director Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows) was looking for a more humorous tone, especially when it comes to the relationship between Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) when they find themselves fighting in gladiator matches on the planet Sakaar.
This humor aspect seems to be getting some fans worried. Don't worry, though, Waititi says that the movie isn't really a comedy, telling EW:
“It’s not really a comedy. There are some really great moments we’re going to have in the film. Knowing that it was Bruce Banner and Thor on kind of a road trip journey, that lends itself to a tone because those guys are both really funny. I was like you gotta exploit Chris’ comic abilities. He’s so good and underutilized in that department. He’s legitimately one of the funniest things in this film.”
The director went on to say the tone of the film is closest to the 1986 cult classic John Carpenter film Big Trouble in Little China. In fact, it was one of the movies Waititi presented when he originally pitched his vision for Thor: Ragnarok to Marvel. He explained why the movie served as a major inspiration for Thor, saying:
“Big Trouble in Little China was one of those films where Jack Burton is a buffoon but he’s lovable and you’re with him the entire way. I thought Thor has got to be the one you want to be with in every scene.”
I love that! I think fans should be more excited about this whole tonal shift in Thor: Ragnarok. I love that Big Trouble in Little China inspired this film because it is a favorite movie of mine! Look, I enjoyed the first two Thor films, I thought they were great. Not everyone agrees with me on that. A lot of fans think that they are the worst films in the Marvel film franchise. Well, if that's the case, don't you think the fans would be happy with the tonal change?
This is going to be a very different kind of Thor movie than what's been done before, and we are going to get Planet Hulk in the process! Fans should be exploding with excitement, not worried about there being too much humor in the film. I have a feeling that this movie is going to blow people away.
Thor: Ragnarok picks up after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, where Thor left Earth and returned to Asgard after hearing about trouble on his home planet in the form of Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who has taken the throne by impersonating their father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Unfortunately, Loki’s rather lax governing leads to the reemergence of an imprisoned Hela (Cate Blanchett), who blasts Thor to Sakaar, a barbaric planet ruled by the charming but nefarious Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), a tough, hard-drinking warrior hiding out on Sakaar brings the god to the Grandmaster, after which he’s forced into becoming a gladiator (and teams, eventually, with The Hulk).
Thor: Ragnarok is out in theaters on November. 3. To catch up on all of our Thor: Ragnarok news, make sure to click here.