Thor: Ragnarok-A Changing of the Guard?

Sam Bommareddy

Marvel Studios has released the upcoming Thor movie teaser titled Thor: Ragnarok this morning, and boy does it look exciting. In fact, I would say that this film is exactly what the first two installations should have been — situationally comic scenes, rich costumes, and basically zero connection to Earth.

The first two Thor movies were a disappointment, to say the least. Who remembers Thor walking around like a shirtless hobo on Earth? Marvel, please, a god of Norse mythology should not be having his mind blown by syrupy pancakes. In fact, I believe the first Thor to simply be a showcase for Loki and Chris Hemsworth’s abs, nothing more. With such a wafer thin plot and such poorly developed characters, who could blame Marvel for their attempt to piggyback on their lead protagonist’s physique. The second Thor, though dealt with more maturely and inspects the romantic angle between Jane and Thor more closely, was also a disappointment. The villain was weak, the usual “Superhero saves Earth” cliche was back, and just overall, it seemed that the film just refused to detail the most interesting conflict of the franchise — a tale of two warring brothers who happened to be gods. Ragnarok, though appears to have rectified those mistakes.

Immediately, the first thing you notice in Ragnarok is Hemsworth’s new hairstyle (which, I confess, looks absolutely putrid). However, aside from that, Marvel introduces a new villain — Hela, the goddess of Death. A more interesting plot point is introduced as well, as captured in the shot where Hela destroys Thor’s Mjolnir (hammer) with a simple squeeze of her hand. That’s as far as the story is revealed, but the new looks given to characters are instantly noticeable (I especially dig Heimdall). Aside from that, there’s even a visit from the always lovable Hulk!

Overall, Ragnarok looks like a super promising offering from Marvel, and I, for once, am genuinely excited to see a Thor film.