FILM · 2017 · USA
Thor: Ragnarok
- Directed by
- Taika Waititi
- Runtime
- 131 min
- Studio
- Marvel Studios
273 archived facts 7 topics 2 sources Last reviewed Sep 2026
Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his home-world and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of a powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela.
Summary: TMDB
185 Interesting Facts About Thor: Ragnarok
- #001
Director Taika Waititi said in an interview with MTV News: "I would say we improvised probably eighty percent of the film, or ad-libbed and threw in stuff."
- #002
Sir Anthony Hopkins had decided not to return as Odin, but changed his mind after reading the story.
- #003
Director Taika Waititi created the character of Korg inspired by Polynesian bodyguards: "We wanted to change the idea of what a hulking guy made of rocks could be. He's big and heavy but has a light spirit, funny and friendly."
- #005
Before the sets built for Marvel's Doctor Strange (2016) were torn down, director Taika Waititi wrote and shot a scene for this film in which Thor meets Dr. Stephen Strange, making use of them. Marvel and Doctor Strange (2016) director Scott Derrickson felt the scene was "kind of perfect" for showing that Strange joined the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe after his standalone introduction in that film, so the scene appears during Doctor Strange's (2016) end title sequence.
- #006
This was the first time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that the Hulk was voiced by Mark Ruffalo rather than Lou Ferrigno. Ferrigno voiced the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk (2008), The Avengers (2012) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).
- #007
Contains a major spoiler — show
At around the 44-minute mark, the Infinity Gauntlet made its first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Thor (2011), briefly seen in Odin's (Sir Anthony Hopkins's) vault filled with all six Infinity Stones. The gauntlet later appeared in the post-credits scene of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), in the vault of Thanos (Josh Brolin) with all the Infinity Stones missing, and Thanos said, "Fine. I'll do it myself." Since most of the Infinity Stones were established in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans speculated that the Infinity Gauntlet seen in Odin's vault had to be either a fake created by Odin or a continuity error. This film addresses these errors and answers the question. As Hela (Cate Blanchett) passes through Odin's vault, she knocks over the Infinity Gauntlet and says: "Fake!"
- #008
In the Marvel Comics universe, when a being is the last of its race, immortality is bestowed upon that being, and it becomes part of a new race called the Elders of the Universe. This means they can no longer die and are therefore immortal. The universe protects the last of a species in the Marvel Comics universe in this way. The Grandmaster and The Collector are two examples in the Marvel Comics universe.
- #009
Director Taika Waititi said he wanted to showcase Chris Hemsworth's comedic talent in this film: "He's so good and underutilized in that department. He's legitimately one of the funniest things in this film."
- #011
Contains a major spoiler — show
Thor's (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki's (Tom Hiddleston) meeting with Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins) and later Hela (Cate Blanchett) was originally going to take place in New York, but director Taika Waititi felt the setting was not right for a dying Odin and reshot the scene in a field in Norway, which he thought was a better setting for the Norse gods to meet. The original footage (shot in Brisbane, Australia) can be seen in the second shot of the 22 July "offical trailer."
- #012
Director Taika Waititi appears in this film in the role of Korg. After Jon Favreau (who directed the first two Iron Man films and appears as "Happy" Hogan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), he is the second Marvel film director to have a significant role in his own film.
- #015
In the Grandmaster's (Jeff Goldblum's) tower, the statues of his champions include significant figures from the Marvel comics: the alien Beta Ray Bill (top left), the supernatural being Man-Thing (top center), the Greek god Ares (top right), the android monster Bi-Beast (bottom right), the alien Fin Fang Foom (bottom center) and The Night-Crawler (bottom left). Note that 'The Night-Crawler' should not be confused with 'Nightcrawler' from the X-Men stories.
- #016
During the world premiere, Mark Ruffalo forgot to end a live stream on his Instagram account and accidentally filmed the first ten minutes of the film.
- #017
Director Taika Waititi described "The Tragedy of Loki of Asgard" as follows: "If I were Loki and I was ruling Asgard, I would write a play about myself and force everyone to go and see it, change the details and have a big celebrity play me."
- #019
Director Taika Waititi described the film as a "1970s and 80s science fiction fantasy, the most 'out there' of all of the Marvel movies." He cited Big Trouble in Little China (1986) as a major influence on the film: "It's a fun adventure film that has big stakes, but also has a breakneck speed and takes you on a crazy adventure."
- #020
In Thor: The Dark World (2013), the actor played Loki in a play (roughly 10 minutes in) honoring the God of Mischief's apparent sacrifice. Damon also played a chief angel named Loki in Dogma (1999).
- #021
Director Taika Waititi told Empire Magazine that, beyond his credited role as the voice of Korg, he played two more roles in the film: "I'm one of the heads of the three-headed alien, the character named Haju. I'm the head on the right. I'm also the motion capture for Surtur." Clancy Brown voiced Surtur.
- #023
Cate Blanchett studied the Afro-Brazilian martial art Capoeira to prepare for the role of Hela.
- #025
Contains a major spoiler — show
In the final battle, after Thor's right eye is damaged and lost, he descends onto the bridge in full god mode (also known as Odinforce / Thorforce) with only his left eye glowing. This was probably altered in the trailer so as not to spoil it.
- #026
The film is mainly based on the Thor comic book story "Ragnarök" (Thor (Chris Hemsworth) discovers that Asgard is doomed to Ragnarök and must fight to prevent it) and the Surtur saga (Surtur (Clancy Brown) emerges and Thor and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) join forces to stop him). It also includes elements of the Marvel stories "Contest of Champions" (the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) and Death host a tournament) and "Planet Hulk" (the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) becomes a gladiator on an alien world).
- #027
Contains a major spoiler — show
(At about 1 hour 35 minutes) When Thor sees the remains of the palace ceiling painting, there is a crack over the right eye of his portrait, foreshadowing how Hela wounds him.
- #028
Contains a major spoiler — show
(At about 2 hours) The spaceship seen in the mid-credits scene is the Sanctuary II, which belongs to Thanos (Josh Brolin).
- #031
This film features three members of the comic book incarnation of the Defenders superhero group: Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Dr. Strange is one of the founding members of the Defenders.
- #032
(At about 39 minutes) The Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) plays a kind of synthesizer keyboard in his introduction scene. Goldblum is in fact a very accomplished pianist. He and his jazz combo, Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, give semi-regular concerts at the Rockwell in Los Angeles, California.
- #033
Contains a major spoiler — show
Sif was originally meant to appear in this film, but Jaimie Alexander's shooting schedule for the third season of Blindspot (2015) conflicted with this film's schedule. The character was written out, with producer Kevin Feige saying that Sif was away on a mission during Ragnarök. Sif would later appear in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
- #034
(At about 13 minutes) Thor throws Mjölnir and catches Loki with the hammer in hand, forcing Loki out of his Odin disguise, so that the hammer returns to his hand and will crush Loki unless he lifts his spell. This comes from the Walter Simonson Thor comic book story in which Thor realizes Loki has put him under a love spell.
- #035
Contains a major spoiler — show
(At about 43 minutes) When Hela breaks the ceiling of the Asgardian palace to reveal the true history of Odin's conquests at her side, one of the murals shows Hela wielding Mjölnir, Thor's hammer, until her return destroys it. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe at this point, the only characters able to wield Mjölnir were Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins), Vision (Paul Bettany) and Hela (Cate Blanchett), while Captain America (Chris Evans) moved it slightly.
- #036
(At about 15 minutes) After sending Loki away, Dr. Strange leaves his business card, which reads "177A Bleecker St." Although it is faithful to the comics and very similar to "221B Baker Street" (the address of Sherlock Holmes, whom Benedict Cumberbatch played in Sherlock (2010)), this is not a hidden reference. It was the real address of Roy Thomas, one of Dr. Strange's writers, in New York City.
- #037
According to producer Kevin Feige, this film plays an important role in the editing of Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
- #038
(At about 22 minutes) On Earth, Thor disguises his hammer Mjölnir as an umbrella. In the comics, when Thor took the mortal form of Dr. Donald Blake, he disguised Mjölnir as a cane.
- #039
According to director Taika Waititi, although this film adapts the "Planet Hulk" story, the Incredible Hulk was never going to appear in it. Only Thor was to be stranded on an alien battle-world.
- #040
Tom Hiddleston describes Loki as someone who struggles with permanence: "Change is inherent to Loki. He is a mutable spirit, and the moment you try to define him, he changes shape. But the events of Ragnarök try to inspire him to change forever. The Goddess of Death emerges and the stakes are high for everyone, so Loki perhaps struggles more than ever to define himself in the face of this threat. He and Thor are in an extraordinary situation in which everything is at stake. They don't know that their familiarity as family members becomes important."
- #041
At about 1 hour 19 minutes, during Valkyrie's (Tessa Thompson) return, a blonde woman is seen pushing her out of the way of a fatal attack and losing her own life. This was Valkyrie's original appearance in the comics.
- #042
A panel in the Grandmaster's (Jeff Goldblum) viewing room is decorated with Jack Kirby artwork taken from the Marvel comic "Fantastic Four" #64 (July 1967).
- #044
At about 1 hour 2 minutes, after Heimdall (Sir Idris Elba) protects the fleeing Asgardians in a forest, he leads them to a cave for safety. The accompanying instrumental theme comes from Stargate SG-1 (1997), for Asgard, an alien race that also protects Earth from otherworldly threats. The Stargate and Bifröst, which Heimdall guards and Hela seeks, are gateways to other worlds.
- #045
Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Sir Idris Elba (Heimdall) received the highest billing either has had in any Marvel film to date. Ironically, both have less screen time in this film than in the previous Thor films.
- #046
Tessa Thompson based her portrayal of Valkyrie on Sarah Connor from Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).
- #047
Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) never calls Thor (Chris Hemsworth) by his real name. She always calls him "Your Majesty."
- #048
In the comics, the Grandmaster's skin is blue. Director Taika Waititi decided not to apply blue to Jeff Goldblum because he thought Goldblum was too good an actor to need it, and Goldblum had played a blue-colored character in Earth Girls Are Easy (1988).
- #049
Valkyrie wears two armors based on her "Defenders" costumes in the comics: on Sakaar she has a leather outfit from the 2013 "Fearless Defenders" comic. She later wears the silver-gold full-body armor that is the "Defenders" armor from the 1970s.
- #050
Contains a major spoiler — show
Skurge makes his last stand from "Thor #362" (December 1985), in which he holds off Hela's army at the cost of his life to save Thor and his friends.
- #051
Hela (Cate Blanchett) was the first female main villain in a Marvel Cinematic Universe film.
- #053
Contains a major spoiler — show
At about the 41st minute, when the rock monster Korg (Taika Waititi) first meets Thor (Chris Hemsworth), he introduces himself with a rock-paper-scissors joke. Korg explains that he became a gladiator because he did not print enough pamphlets. Paper beats rock. Later, at the end of the film (around the 2-hour mark), Korg thinks he has accidentally crushed and killed his knife-wielding alien gladiator friend Miek. Although Miek wakes up, Korg's killing of Miek would mean rock beats scissors.
- #054
Korg is a member of the Kronan race and first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 in 1962, where he was defeated by Thor. He is best known for his appearance in Planet Hulk, where he fought alongside The Incredible Hulk and the Warbound on Sakaar to defeat the Red King, and for his appearance in World War Hulk, where he helped The Incredible Hulk in his revenge against the heroes who launched him into space after Sakaar's destruction.
- #055
Director Taika Waititi designed the Valkyrie emblem tattoo.
- #056
Tom Hiddleston explained that Loki's knife flip was entirely an accident. He said the camera was still rolling and he did not want to just stand there like a "lemon," so he spun the knives and caught them by chance.
- #057
Cate Blanchett portrayed Hela in a motion-capture suit because of Hela's ability to change her body. She said it was a bit strange because she got confused in several scenes.
- #058
At about 51 minutes, the executive producer and co-creator of Thor and The Incredible Hulk plays the barber who cuts Thor's hair.
- #059
Director Taika Waititi felt that despite the events of this film, which he was editing alongside Avengers: Infinity War (2018), it could not only stand on its own but would also reinvent the series: "A lot of what we did in the film is, in a way, tearing apart and destroying the old idea and rebuilding it in a fresh and new way. Everyone has a slightly new approach to their characters, so it feels like Thor (2011)."
- #061
Hela is primarily based on her comic-book version (the Norse goddess of death and destruction), but she incorporates traits of Thor's enemy Gorr the God Butcher (a foe who wields a magic sword and can create constructs) and of Thor's sister Angela (Thor's rival).
- #062
Contains a major spoiler — show
The survivors of Ragnarok decide to go to Earth. In the Marvel comic-book event "Siege," Asgard was destroyed and the survivors decided to remain on Earth.
- #063
It is the first film director Taika Waititi did not write himself.
- #064
During Captain America: Civil War (2016), the entire existing Avengers roster (except Thor and The Incredible Hulk) appears, chooses a side and fights one another. This also happens in the Civil War comic-book story, but on a much larger scale, again without Thor and The Incredible Hulk present. The reason neither appears in the Marvel comic is that The Incredible Hulk is on Sakaar and Thor has just taken part in Ragnarok, exactly as in this film.
- #065
This film's release in 2017 followed Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 (2017) and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). It was the first time the Marvel Cinematic Universe released three films in the same year.
- #066
The producers state that Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) from Big Trouble in Little China (1986) influenced Thor (Chris Hemsworth): "What if Thor was a guy who wanted his truck back? He's the one who looks at Earth and brings a certain sarcasm and irony to this cosmic landscape."
- #067
A street on Sakaar is named "Kirby Way" after Marvel artist and writer Jack Kirby.
- #068
In Japan, the film was retitled "Thor: Battle Royale" as a tribute to Koushun Takami's story "Battle Royale," about people imprisoned in an arena and forced to kill one another.
- #070
(At about 11 minutes) In the staged death scene "The Tragedy of Loki of Asgard," the music played during Loki's death is the same music played during Loki's death scene in Thor: The Dark World (2013).
- #071
At around 40 minutes into The Avengers (2012), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) tells everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. that Loki is an Asgardian and his brother. When Natasha replies that he has killed eighty people, Thor's deadpan face instantly answers, "He's adopted." In Thor: Ragnarok, when the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) tells Thor that Loki is an Asgardian and his brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) does the same thing to Thor and Loki immediately answers, "Adopted brother!"
- #075
This film premiered in 2017, the 55th anniversary of the first appearances of Thor (August 1962) and The Incredible Hulk (May 1962) and the hundredth anniversary of their co-creator Jack Kirby's birth.
- #076
At around 14 minutes, Natalie Portman and Jaimie Alexander did not return for this film. Natalie Portman refused to return as Dr. Jane Foster and announced that she would no longer appear in Marvel comic book films (she later changed her mind and appeared again in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)), and Jaimie Alexander was busy working on Blindspot (2015). Thor mentions Dr. Jane Foster in dialogue and tells Loki that she left him. However, Lady Sif's absence from this film cannot be explained and the character is never mentioned; she does, however, return with Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
- #078
Topaz (Rachel House) is the Grandmaster's (Jeff Goldblum) ally in this film. In the comics she was a sorceress.
- #083
Thor uses a mace in his fight against the Incredible Hulk. In the Marvel comics this mace was used by Thor's ally Hercules. The Marvel version of Hercules was set to continue appearing in the post-credits scene of Thor: Love and Thunder.
- #084
It grossed over 650 million dollars worldwide in ten days.
- #085
Charlize Theron was considered to play Hela and was eventually cast as Clea in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).
- #086
If you think Sir Anthony Hopkins's role as Odin in this film seems a little small, there is a reason: his scenes were largely changed after test audiences reacted badly. In a new interview, director Taika Waititi confirmed that the original plan for Odin upset the first test audiences, which led to a major change.
- #087
At around 1 hour 24 minutes, Thor names his team "The Revengers." In the Marvel comics, The Revengers was a team of supervillains/antiheroes formed to oppose the Avengers.
- #088
The four years between the release of Thor: The Dark World (2013) and this film mark the longest gap between installments of a series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- #089
Taika Waititi cited the heroic teams of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), 48 Hrs. (1982), Withnail and I (1987), Midnight Run (1988), Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) and Big Trouble in Little China (1986) as influences on the dynamic of the heroes in this film.
- #090
Taika Waititi based Korg's performance on the Polynesian bouncers outside New Zealand nightclubs; they were such big men that they did not need to act aggressively, and could therefore afford to be friendly and soft-natured.
- #091
Cate Blanchett's youngest son, Ignatius Martin Upton, took a small role in this film.
- #092
On his Instagram and Twitter accounts, Mark Ruffalo referred to the motion-capture suit as the "legendary man-cancelling suit."
- #093
Director Taika Waititi wanted to highlight a cameo by Rhomann Dey (John C. Reilly) from Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
- #096
The fifth installment of Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- #097
Although this film is technically Thor's third solo film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he appeared in both the Avengers films and in Doctor Strange (2016), making this his sixth appearance in the series, excluding this film's Team Thor promotional videos. (As of the time of this film's release.)
- #098
(At around 35 minutes) This film pays tribute to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). As Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is taken to meet the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), he is led through a brightly colored passage. The "Pure Imagination" theme from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) can be heard in this section. In that film, the contest winners take a ferry ride through a colorful tunnel shortly after meeting Willy Wonka. The Grandmaster recalls Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder), since both men are the eccentric leaders of their own colorful and often confusing labyrinthine domains.
- #099
Contains a major spoiler — show
This is the first Thor film not to open with a narration by Odin, which is fitting since he is stranded on Earth and apparently unaware of events in the other Nine Realms since his exile.
- #101
It was sent to cinemas under the code name "Creature Report."
- #102
(At around 38 minutes) The Grandmaster's (Jeff Goldblum's) melting cousin Carlo (Steven Oliver) is named after comic book artist Carlo Pagulayan. He created the character Korg and, together with writer Greg Pak, was responsible for The Incredible Hulk comics and the Planet Hulk storyline between 2006 and 2007. Both are specifically thanked in the end credits sequence.
- #103
In the Marvel Comics event "Civil War," Reed Richards, Tony Stark and Hank Pym created a cyborg clone of Thor called "Ragnarök."
- #107
Skurge (Karl Urban) is called "The Executioner" by Hela (Cate Blanchett). In the comics he is known as "The Executioner" and works alongside The Enchantress, another enemy of Asgard and Thor.
- #108
Taika Waititi felt Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" was perfect for the film. "If you'd told a young Taika growing up in New Zealand in the '80s, 'One day you're going to use one of the most awesome songs in the history of humanity in a film about the god of thunder, Thor, which you're going to direct,' I'd have said, 'Dude, I know that, because I can see the future.'".
- #109
There was no plan for a shirtless scene for Chris Hemsworth in the film, but Taika Waititi told him he had to do one "as a representative of the audience." "I would like to acknowledge myself and Chris' body for those extra ticket sales."
- #110
In the 2017 "Thor" comics, Thor was drawn to resemble Chris Hemsworth.
- #111
This film marks the third appearance of a Kronan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first was in the opening battle of Thor: The Dark World (2013), followed by Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 (2017), during Rocket and Yondu's approach to Ego's planet.
- #112
Two of the four women who restore Thor to health in the Hulk's room are played by Taika Waititi's and Chris Hemsworth's wives, Chelsea and Elsa, respectively.
- #113
Taika Waititi explained why he agreed to direct the film: "You know what? I was not interested in doing one of those [Marvel] films. That wasn't my plan for my career as an auteur. But I was poor and I'd just had a second child, and I thought, 'You know, this would be a great opportunity to feed these children.'".
- #114
This is the first "Thor" film that does not feature Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings or Stellan Skarsgård.
- #115
The scene featuring Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) was shot about a year before principal photography on this film began, while they visited the Doctor Strange set to film it.
- #116
At around the 53rd minute, Hulk is called "The Incredible Hulk" for the first time. The Grandmaster calls him "Incredible," and Hulk finishes the sentence with "Hulk."
- #117
At around the 28th minute: in every film Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has appeared in so far, being shocked and/or having his face pressed against glass has become a typical occurrence. In Thor (2011), after his first landing he goes out into the field and Darcy (Kat Dennings) shocks him with a taser. Later, at the hospital, he is stopped by orderlies and security, injected with a strong sedative and his face is pressed against glass. In Thor: The Dark World (2013), while fighting Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) and passing from dimension to dimension, he lands on the roof of a building in London and hits his face against the glass as he slides down. In this film, while teleporting, he finds himself outside the Bifrost and lands on Sakaar. There is an electrically charged net holding him, and here Scrapper 142 (Tessa Thompson) throws the obedience disk at him. She shocks him and, as he is transported, his face is pressed against the glass of her ship. The irony here is that Thor is the God of Thunder, the sound made by lightning, and he is brought down by a handheld shock device.
- #119
The Norway scene was shot in Atlanta.
- #120
Hulk's everyday clothes on Sakaar are the clothes he wore in the "Ultimate Hulk vs. Wolverine" comic book while in Tibet.
- #121
In an interview, Chris Hemsworth said he switched to a plant-based diet to prepare for the role.
- #122
Contains a major spoiler — show
In this film, the ruthless Hogun (Tadanobu Asano) has the most screen time of the Warriors Three before he is killed, the exact opposite of his final appearance, in which he has the least.
- #123
Taika Waititi told Anthony Hopkins that in his introduction scene he would "be playing Tom Hiddleston playing you. And he said 'Oh okay, good,' and he turned up in blue eyeliner."
- #126
This is the only MCU film in which Doctor Strange wears his distinctive yellow gloves.
- #127
The revelation that Asgard has a darker, more violent past is one of Taika Waititi's favorite scenes in the film.
- #128
Taika Waititi wanted a Withnail & I vibe between Thor and Banner, and he was thrilled that Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo achieved it.
- #129
The color design of the Commodore's ship is based on the Aboriginal flag. Valkyrie's ship is colored according to the Maori flag.
- #130
Clancy Brown (Surtur) played Odin in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2010), Ray Schoonover in Daredevil (2015) and The Punisher (2017), and Lex Luthor in various DC animated television programs and films.
- #131
At around the 29th minute, when Valkyrie first meets Thor, she tells the Scrappers: "He's mine. So if you want him, you go through me." When the Scrappers refuse to give him up, she says: "Alright then, I guess I go through you." A similar scenario and exchange of dialogue occurs in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), in the prison where Rocket Raccoon tells the other inmates: "This one here's our booty! You wanna get to him, you go through us! Or more accurately, we go through you!"
- #132
In Marvel Comics stories, Valkyrie/Brunnhilde has lost numerous host bodies, and her spirit survives by joining with various women, both mortal and immortal (temporarily or long-term). The most prominent of these "host" women are the Asgardian goddesses Enchantress/Amora and Lorelei (who are sisters) and the mortal women Barbara Denton/Barbara Norriss, Samantha Parrington and Sian Bowen. This has led to certain difficulties, such as Valkyrie and the host having access to multiple sets of memories, being unable to access all the necessary information about the host, or dealing with confused relatives such as Barbara's estranged husband and Samantha's parents.
- #133
Tessa Thompson appeared alongside Sir Anthony Hopkins in Westworld (2016), together with Chris Hemsworth's brother Luke, who in this film plays an Asgardian actor portraying Thor in a play.
- #134
When Thor enters the arena, you can see Korg and others watching the fight from a window area with a small railing. These were common in Roman amphitheaters such as the Colosseum so that other gladiators could watch the fights. They were also depicted in the film Gladiator (2000).
- #135
At around the 23rd minute, when Hela arrives on Earth, she orders Thor and Loki to kneel. This is the same first command Loki gave to the crowd in Stuttgart, Germany, in The Avengers (2012).
- #136
At around the 41st minute, when Korg introduces himself, he says, "Yeah, I am actually a thing." Being made of rocks could easily be a nod to another Stan Lee comic book, Fantastic Four, in which The Thing is made of rocks.
- #137
At 1 hour 17 minutes, the reflective walk shot that Taika Waititi calls "obviously the greatest shot in the history of cinema" was designed by storyboard artist Todd Harris.
- #138
Most of the artwork and banners in the Hulk parade were made by interns from the local Aboriginal community. Taika Waititi wanted to give them the chance to experience a film set and possibly be inspired.
- #141
When Valkyrie hands Thor over to the Grandmaster, he pays her 10 million units. The units are the same currency used by most governments in the Guardians of the Galaxy films.
- #142
During a lull in the arena fight, Thor tries to use the same method Black Widow used in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) to calm Hulk and cause him to revert to Banner. Instead, Hulk smashes Thor around like a rag doll, just as he did to Loki in The Avengers (2012), hence Loki's enthusiastic reaction.
- #143
Contains a major spoiler — show
At around the 44th minute, while Hela (Cate Blanchett) looks over Odin's (Sir Anthony Hopkins) treasures, she sees Surtur's (Clancy Brown's) horned helmet and says, "Hmmm, smaller than I thought it would be." This is an ironic line, because when Surtur reappears he is enormous, even bigger than before.
- #144
The opening scene was meant to be confusing, because director Taika Waititi wanted audiences to immediately feel off-balance and unsure of this world.
- #145
The light effect used for the first time during Valkyrie's return was designed by two friends of Taika Waititi. He compares it to the "bullet time" of The Matrix, but with flashbulbs surrounding the action instead of cameras.
- #146
At around 1 hour 45 minutes, in the final battle scene, where Bruce explains that he took it and tries to change in midair to fight Fenrir, only the ground references are punched in from The Incredible Hulk (2008), when Bruce jumps from a helicopter to fight the Abomination. The fight scene also pays tribute to Hulk (2003), in which he fights giant mutated dogs that can pierce his skin with their teeth.
- #147
In this film, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) rides a winged horse. According to the Marvel comics, the horse's name is Aragorn. Aragorn is a key hero of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Cate Blanchett (Hela) and Karl Urban (Skurge) played Aragorn's allies Galadriel and Eomer.
- #149
Contains a major spoiler — show
Hela looks for the sword to open the Bifröst, but in Thor (2011) Loki uses the Odin Scepter to open the Bifröst and let the Frost Giants in. Loki also used the scepter to travel to Jötunnheim, the frozen world of the Frost Giants. The hidden mural on the ceiling showed Odin carrying the All-Father's Scepter into battle, which would mean Hela already knew this.
- #150
Thor is the only Marvel Studios series with a different director for each entry: Sir Kenneth Branagh directed Thor (2011), Alan Taylor directed Thor: The Dark World (2013), and Taika Waititi directed this film.
- #151
Clancy Brown (Surtur) fought the Norse demon Surtur in the film Hellbenders (2012) and was possessed by him.
- #152
Along with Iron Man, Thor is the only other Marvel Studios series with three different composers for each film: Patrick Doyle scored Thor (2011), Brian Tyler scored Thor: The Dark World (2013), and Mark Mothersbaugh scored this film.
- #153
After the haircut, something appears to be shaved into opposite sides of Thor's head that looks like an N and a Z, and Taika Waititi points out that this represents New Zealand.
- #154
While preparing for the film, Taika Waititi spoke with Marvel about how Thor needed to be revised. He had to be the kind of fun hero we wanted to follow on the journey, and you can't do that when the hero is extremely serious and earnest.
- #155
Before Taika Waititi took the job, Elizabeth Banks was interested in directing.
- #157
Commenting on the meaningless graffiti behind Thor in the Infinity corridor, Taika Waititi suggests that crop circles could simply be aliens' "tagging fields" for fun.
- #159
Contains a major spoiler — show
(At about 1 hour 45 minutes) In the final battle, Hela asks Thor what he is the god of, and he answers with a blast of lightning. In the comics, the one who asked him this question was Gorr the God Butcher, who also said "Thunder" as he blasted him.
- #160
Surtur was voiced by Clancy Brown, but the motion capture was performed by director Taika Waititi.
- #161
The design of the planet Sakaar — from its architecture to its costumes, ships and shapes — was deliberately and overtly inspired by the work of Jack Kirby. One of Kirby's space station designs was even reworked into a weapon.
- #162
Chris Hemsworth was paid 15 million dollars for the film, 100 times his salary on Thor (2011).
- #164
Director Taika Waititi hates guns but gave Skurge a pair of M-16s because they are well known as part of the character in the comics.
- #165
Contains a major spoiler — show
Zachary Levi was not affected by Fandral's death in this film, saying, "I knew that the Warriors Three could be really fun characters if they developed them. They just didn't... I knew Fandral was going to be bait." He said he had several lines during filming but that all of them were cut from the scene.
- #168
Cate Blanchett consulted with Marvel and director Taika Waititi to determine when Hela would and would not be masked.
- #169
This is the highest-rated Thor film.
- #171
The scenes set in New York City were shot in Brisbane.
- #172
Luke Hemsworth plays Thor in Odin/Loki's little play.
- #173
The small disc Valkyrie attaches to Thor's neck is an "obedience disc," which originates from the Planet Hulk storyline.
- #174
The instrumentation was changed for the film itself, but in the scene where the Grandmaster makes music, Jeff Goldblum is actually playing a keyboard.
- #175
In the Prose Edda (thirteenth century), the god Baldr — who was not killed in battle but after Loki tricked Baldr's brother into shooting him with an arrow made of mistletoe — is sent to Hel/Hela and kept in her kingdom. Baldr is even referred to as "Hel's companion." When his brother Hermod negotiated for Baldr's release and resurrection, Hel/Hela's condition was that she would free Baldr only "If all things in the world, alive or dead, weep for him." When a giant (actually Loki in disguise) refused to weep for his death, Hel/Hela kept her prize.
- #176
Tessa Thompson stated that Valkyrie is bisexual.
- #177
At around 1 hour 20 minutes, when Bruce Banner puts on Tony Stark's clothes, the T-shirt depicts the cover of Duran Duran's album "Rio," a subtle bit of foreshadowing since the album included the single "Hungry Like The Wolf." Shortly after this sequence, a very large wolf appears.
- #178
The opening scene in which Thor (Chris Hemsworth) fights the demon Surtur (Clancy Brown) strongly recalls the "mines of Moria" sequence in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). Surtur closely resembles the Balrog of the Fellowship's battles in the mines, and demon hordes also crawl down the pillars toward Thor just as the Orcs do in the Moria scene. This scene also intercuts with Skurge (Karl Urban) on the Bifröst bridge. Urban played Éomer in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
- #180
The only Avenger to have shirtless scenes in all of the films he has appeared in (except the Iron Man 3 (2013) short film) is The Incredible Hulk (his own solo film, the previous two Avengers films and this film). Thor had a shirtless scene in both the previous Thor films and in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). This film would have been the fourth in which both of them were shirtless.
- #182
Ruben Fleischer, Rob Letterman and Rawson Marshall Thurber were considered to direct. Fleischer and Thurber were also candidates to direct Ant-Man (2015).
- #184
Director Taika Waititi explained that his character's name, Korg, is "like the piano."
- #185
The mural inside the box where Loki and the Grandmaster watch the fight between Thor and Hulk is an actual piece of Jack Kirby artwork.
- #187
About 14 minutes in, when Thor takes a selfie with a woman on Earth, a taxi passes by with a Synchrony Bank ad on its roof. Synchrony Bank is the company that issues the Marvel Credit Card.
- #189
In the early 1990s, The Incredible Hulk writer Peter David was asked who he would want to play Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk in a big-screen feature film. At the time, his preference was Sir Kenneth Branagh, who went on to direct Thor (2011).
- #190
At about the 54th minute, during Thor's encounter with The Incredible Hulk, a red character resembling Arishem of the Celestials from Marvel Comics stands behind The Grandmaster.
- #191
At the 44th minute, the glove Hela drops to the ground first appeared in issue #1 of Thor.
- #192
Thor: Ragnarok is Tom Holland's favorite Marvel film.
- #193
The face of Taika Waititi is on the head of the three-headed alien seen several times on Sakaar.
- #194
At the 6th minute, Surtur's full fiery power moves toward his skull.
- #196
This marks the third time Sir Sam Neill and Samuel L. Jackson have appeared in the same cinematic universe without sharing a scene. Neill appeared in The Hunt for Red October (1990), and Jackson in Patriot Games (1992). The two also appeared alongside Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park (1993).
- #197
Sir Sam Neill (the fake Odin in the play) and Jeff Goldblum (the Grandmaster) appeared together in the original Jurassic Park (1993).
- #198
Contains a major spoiler — show
The uncredited actors in the Asgardian play include Luke Hemsworth as Thor, Matt Damon as Loki, Sir Sam Neill as Odin, Gabby Carbon as Jane Foster and Charlotte Nicdao as Sif.
- #199
In the "Gesta Danorum" (thirteenth century) written by Saxo Grammaticus (1160-1220), Hel/Hela appears to be identified with Proserpina, the Roman goddess of death and the underworld. As Saxo prepared to take Baldr's soul, he gave her the name Proserpina. Proserpina is typically identified with the Greek death goddess and underworld figure Persephone.
- #200
Cate Blanchett was reported to have earned $12.5 million for this film.
- #201
While filming on the Norwegian cliff, the grass kept getting trampled, so in the final film it was entirely replaced with CGI grass. CGI supervisor Murray Stevenson said: "If we had treated the meadow as one giant piece of geometry, it would have been completely inefficient. Instead we treated the meadow as a sampling system: we had 600,000 individual blades of grass taken from a starting template library of each grass variation. Each had a shockwave simulation, an ambient wind simulation, a stronger wind simulation, etc. For any point in the fields we could pick and choose which of these simulations to use. Then at render time we could dynamically adjust these simulations; so if the grass was moving too much in a shot, rather than re-simulating it with less wind, we could dynamically reduce it by half at render time. All of this could be done in [VFX software] Gaffer at render time, which saved us a huge amount of iteration cost and time."
- #205
Why Thor and Jane Foster broke up is not explained, but it is explained in the sequel Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
- #206
Hel/Hela appears to be depicted in the "Old English Gospel of Nicodemus," an eleventh-century Christian text. In the text, a feminine personification of Hell (called "Seo hell" in the text) engages in a flyting with Satan (an Anglo-Saxon practice in which two opponents insult and mock each other). Seo hell commands Satan to leave her kingdom. The female figure is thought to be an old Germanic goddess and apparently was still familiar to the Christianized Anglo-Saxons of the eleventh century.
- #208
Although most people think the Duran Duran Rio shirt Banner wears may be connected to the scene where the Hulk fights the Wolf (hungry like the wolf), it may also be connected to Dr. Durand-Durand in Barbarella (1968), from whom Duran Duran took its name. He is the "Mad" "Scientist" who "creates a weapon that could destroy humanity" (speaking for himself).
- #209
Cate Blanchett and Jeff Goldblum both appeared in The Life Aquatic (2004) alongside Steve Zissou. Both films feature music by Mark Mothersbaugh.
- #210
When Skurge mentions finding two things in Texas that resemble M-16s, he names them Dez and Troy. Dez Bryant and Troy Aikman are two of the most popular Dallas Cowboys living in Dallas, Texas. It is a fun reference that only big American football fans or Dallas Cowboys fans would connect.
- #211
(At about 1 hour 10 minutes) When the Incredible Hulk bounces a ball off the floor and wall, it is exactly how Hilts "The Cooler King" (Steve McQueen) bounces a ball while in solitary confinement in The Great Escape (1963).
- #212
As of this film, the MCU cast included nine different actors who were born in the same years but in different months from one another: 1978 - Zoe Saldaña (Gamora) was born on June 19 and Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson) was born on September 23. 1981 - Tom Hiddleston (Loki) was born on February 9, and both Natalie Portman (Jane Foster) and Chris Evans (Steve Rogers) were born in June, four days apart. 1982 - Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter) was born on April 5 and Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes) on August 13. 1983 - Chris Hemsworth (Thor Odinson) was born on August 11 and Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie) on October 3.
- #213
Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) shows off his sport coat and a T-shirt featuring a print of the English pop group Duran Duran's 1982 album Rio. The cover is a painting by American artist Patrick Nagel, known for his illustrations in Playboy magazine in the 1970s and 1980s. One of the group's managers discovered him this way. It is just another clinical example of the Marvel Universe's era music.
- #214
At around 1:23:05, as Thor searches for Bruce Banner, a man behind him is swinging a Hulk piñata.
- #215
VFX supervisor Dave Morley said of creating Hela's horned headdress: "That transition required a huge amount of work beyond the animation of the headdress. To begin with, we had to create a full CG body to smooth out Hela's costume and make it look as clean and sleek as possible. The compositing team also had to completely remove Cate's hair, because it was spread in patches over Cate's forehead and neck. That required a lot of paint cleanup; in the end, it helped with the smooth transition of the headdress rising and extending from Hela's head."
- #218
The Ynglinga saga (thirteenth century), written by Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241), recounts the lives, reigns and deaths of the legendary kings of the Yngling dynasty. In the saga, Hel/Hela appears to claim the souls of kings who failed to die in battle. When the brave Dyggvi died of illness, the saga declares that he became Hel/Hela's new husband.
- #219
(At the 49th minute) Valkyrie's method of opening a liquor bottle with a knife is a tribute to Once Were Warriors, which features a character who opens beer bottles with a fish slicer.
- #220
On the way to Doctor Strange's sandstone at 177A Bleecker Street in Manhattan, the theme from Sherlock (2010), starring Benedict Cumberbatch, can be heard.
- #221
It is Quentin Tarantino's favorite Marvel film.
- #222
Cate Blanchett (Hela) appeared alongside John Rhys-Davies in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Rhys-Davies voiced Thor in Fantastic Four: The Animated Series (1994).
- #223
Karl Urban and Matt Damon appeared in The Bourne Supremacy (2004).
- #224
In the German version, Benedict Cumberbatch was voiced by Sascha Rotermund, and Chris Hemsworth was voiced by Tommy Morgenstern, who also voiced Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock (2010).
- #225
Jeff Goldblum's character takes revenge on an enemy by causing his body to liquefy. In The Fly (1986), he vomits onto a man's hand and food, causing them to liquefy.
- #226
Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch appeared in War Horse (2011).
- #227
In this film, Thor finds himself on a garbage planet where he becomes a gladiator. Meanwhile, Kurt Russell, who played Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 (2017), played Todd 3465, a futuristic commando left for dead on a garbage planet, in Soldier (1998). Connie Nielsen, who plays Sandra in this film, appeared opposite Russell Crowe in Gladiator (2000), in which Crowe won an Oscar for his role as the betrayed Roman general Maximus, who enters the arena as a gladiator to take revenge on the villainous son who assassinated the murdered Roman emperor's father. Russell Crowe and Connie Nielsen entered the DC Extended Universe: Crowe as Jor-El in Man of Steel (2013) and Nielsen as Hippolyta in Wonder Woman (2017), the respective parents of Superman and Wonder Woman.
- #228
Beerbot 5000 is a motion-capture performance.
- #231
Sir Anthony Hopkins's first film was The Lion in Winter (1968), in which he played the son of Katharine Hepburn's character. Cate Blanchett portrayed Hepburn in The Aviator (2004).
- #232
The effects studio Image Engine worked on the scene in which Thor and Loki search for Odin on Earth and eventually find him on a cliff in Norway. VFX supervisor Dave Morley said: "It was a great sequence to work on, even though we came on board very late in the process. Our contribution to Thor: Ragnarok was largely 911 work: we had eight weeks to complete around 150 shots, from award to delivery."
- #233
This was screenwriter Eric Pearson's first feature film.
- #235
Kevin Feige first expressed interest in a film adaptation of the "Planet Hulk" comic book in 2012.
- #236
It was the first Thor film to gross over $100 million domestically in its opening weekend.
- #238
The first trailer received 136 million online views in its first 24 hours. This was the second Marvel trailer to pass 100 million views in that time frame, after Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017).
- #239
Fans suggested Reese Witherspoon, Ali Larter and Jaime King to play Valkyrie.
- #240
To coincide with the film's release, Marvel published the third Thor Omnibus in 2017.
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