With the release of the first official teaser trailer for the upcoming film (seen above), Thor: Ragnarok, fans were bombarded with a plethora of new details surrounding the God of Thunder’s third solo outing, which makes its way to the big screen this November. However, aside from being a fantastic 2-minute thrill ride, the trailer also gives us plenty of hints about what we can expect to see in the film, aside from what’s blatantly laid out before us.
Although there’s still a ways to go before the film hits theaters, certain clues brought forth in the trailer seem to paint a pretty decent picture of where the story may take us, so with that in mind, here are 5 things to expect from Thor: Ragnarok:
Thor Will Get A New Weapon
Early on in the trailer, we see the God of Thunder swing his mighty hammer, Mjolnir, as he gathers momentum before sending it hurtling towards Cate Blanchett’s villainous Hela. However, much to the surprise of fans, not only does Hela stop Mjolnir dead in its tracks; she also shatters it to pieces, as we see the handle and chunks of Uru metal fall despondently towards the ground.
In the comics, Mjolnir is hardly the only weapon Thor has wielded throughout his storied career. In fact, another weapon commonly associated with the God of Thunder is Jarnbjorn: the massive axe Thor used when he was a young man. Later, when Thor was deemed unworthy to wield Mjolnir, he would once again rely upon Jarnbjorn as his primary weapon, so one has to wonder whether or not Thor: Ragnarok will follow suit in this respect. The trailer doesn’t show Thor wielding any other recognizable Asgardian weapons, we can assume he’ll take up another primary sidearm in Mjolnir’s stead, and Jarnbjorn would make for an incredible Easter egg for longtime comic book readers. Additionally, this theory seems to be backed up by recent concept art for Avengers: Infinity War, in which Thor can be seen wielding a weapon that bears a slight resemblance to the famed battle axe.
‘Planet Hulk’ Will Come To Life (Sort Of)
Fans have long been clamoring for a live-action interpretation of the Planet Hulk storyline, but due to licensing issues, that may not be possible. However, when we learned that Thor: Ragnarok would prominently feature Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner/Hulk and that the film would take place largely off-planet, fans began to speculate. Then, there was the reveal of Hulk’s gladiator armor at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con, adding further fuel to the fire. Finally, in an interview published in Total Film, Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi confirmed himself that Thor and Hulk would be reunited on the planet Sakaar - the same world featured in Planet Hulk.
In the teaser trailer, we not only get our first look at Sakaar, but we also get to see Ruffalo’s Green Goliath fully decked out in his armor, and stylistically, it’s very evocative of Planet Hulk from the comics. That being said, this certainly seems to be an attempt to appease fans that have long waited to see Planet Hulk on the big screen, but it’s still ultimately a Thor film, so don’t expect to see all the minutiae of the source material when Thor: Ragnarok hits theaters.
Valkyrie Will Become A New Love Interest
In Thor and Thor: The Dark World, fans were force-fed a bland romance with zero chemistry between Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster. However, with Portman out of the picture, expect to see some sparks ignite between the God of Thunder and Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie.
Although early reports indicated that Thor and Valkyrie’s bond would be platonic in nature, more and more outlets are now leaning towards the idea that Valkyrie will serve as both a foil and a love interest in the film. In the trailer, we certainly see her fulfill her role as the former, but after turning Thor over to the Grandmaster’s guards, you can see a hint of remorse on Valkyrie’s face as the God of Thunder is dragged away. Whether or not this means Thor and Valkyrie become an actual couple remains to be seen, but in any case, it’s safe to say there will likely be some sexual tension between the two.
Thanos’ Presence Will Be Felt
So far, Thanos’ connection to the majority of the MCU films thus far has been the Infinity Stones. In fact, when he was last seen in the mid-credits scene following Avengers: Age of Ultron, the mad titan grabbed the Infinity Gauntlet before declaring, “I’ll do it myself,” in reference to collecting the aforementioned Stones. However, fans have begun speculating as to whether or not Thor: Ragnarok’s Hela will end up serving as the MCU’s stand-in for Lady Death – Thanos’ love interest in the comics.
In the conclusion of the mini-series The Unworthy Thor, Thanos and Hela can be seen locking lips, leading many to believe that this was done to mirror the potential direction for Thanos’ character arc in the films. After all, without Lady Death – or at least someone standing in for her – Thanos’ character doesn’t really work. In the comics, Thanos’ whole reason for seeking out the Infinity Gems was so that he could use the Infinity Gauntlet to wipe out half of the sentient beings in the universe – a twisted act of love meant to appease Lady Death. That being said, if Avengers: Infinity War wants to remain faithful to the source material, they’ll either need to scurry to introduce Lady Death soon, or find a suitable stand-in, which is a role Hela could absolutely fill.
Thor Will Become Unworthy
When you consider the fact that Thor: Ragnarok will see the God of Thunder lose his trusty hammer and his luscious, golden locks, it’s hard to avoid comparisons to the recently concluded comic book storyline, The Unworthy Thor. With that in mind, will Thor: Ragnarok see the titular hero truly become unworthy?
As I touched upon earlier, recent concept art for Avengers: Infinity War seems to depict the God of Thunder wielding a weapon vaguely similar in appearance to Jarnbjorn. This would certainly make sense, considering we see Hela destroy Mjolnir in the Thor: Ragnarok trailer, but what does that mean for the God of Thunder, himself? Due to the inscription on Mjolnir, Thor can only wield the hammer as long as he’s worthy – once he’s not, he can no longer lift the mythical weapon. And it's important to remember that Mjolnir is not merely a weapon, it's a symbol of Thor's righteousness, both as a God and as a person. That being said, if there is no Mjolnir to lift in the first place, does that consequently make Thor unworthy? I suppose we’ll have to wait until November to find out.
What about you? What do you expect to see in Thor: Ragnarok? Let us know in the comments section!