Marvel Studios has confirmed online that the casting for THOR: RAGNAROK will be a particularly huge one. Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, and Mark Ruffalo have all been confirmed to be in the third Thor film, following Thor: The Dark World, and the seventeenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Blanchett is set to play a new villain called Hela, who has traditionally been the Asgardian god of death in the comics. Introduced in 1968, the likely source material for the film saw her reawakened in her mortal guise following Ragnarok, due to Loki’s schemes. Goldblum’s role of the Grandmaster suggests that THOR: RAGNAROK will also be setting up much of the Infinity War storyline for the next Avengers film as well. Tessa Thompson will play Valkyrie, an ally and one-time love interest for Thor, while Urban will add his existing comic book cred as Skurge, an Asgardian warrior who has fought on both sides of the hero/villain divide.
“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.
Returning casting members include, of course, Chris Hemsworth as the titular lightning wielder, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Idris Elba as Heimdall, and Sir Anthony Hopkins as Odin.
THOR: RAGNAROK will be shot in Australia by New Zealand director Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople). It will be released in Australia on 26 October 2017, and on 3 November 2017 in the US, by Disney.
