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
22 Facts From the Making of Thor: Ragnarok
- #052
Director Taika Waititi consulted theoretical physicist Clifford Johnson, who had previously advised on space travel in the second season of Agent Carter (2015), and allowed Johnson to see the first drafts of the script. Johnson felt "receptive and super excited" about the information Waititi provided, and Johnson gave him physics ideas that could "wink at some of the classic old Thor stuff."
- #074
Sir Kenneth Branagh, who directed Thor (2011), turned down the chance to return as director of this film in order to work on Murder on the Orient Express (2017) instead.
- #188
The book "The Art of Thor: Ragnarok" reveals that the Asgardian guards, the Einherjar, were called "E-Guards" by the concept artists, and their dead counterparts resurrected as Hela's army were called "D-Guards." Early in pre-production, Hela was to have her own created army called "Butchers." These were dark green demons with branches resembling Hela's headdress. The idea of the Butchers was set aside in favor of the D-Guards.
- #242
Marvel announced in January 2014 that Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost would write the screenplay for a third Thor film, with Kevin Feige producing.
- #243
At the end of October 2014, Kevin Feige announced the title Thor: Ragnarok and a release date of July 28, 2017, with Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston set to return as Thor and Loki.
- #245
Marvel moved the release date of Thor: Ragnarok to November 3, 2017 in February 2015.
- #246
Alan Taylor, director of Thor: The Dark World, said he would not return for Thor: Ragnarok, describing his Marvel experience as wrenching because the shoot's freedom gave way to a different film in post-production.
- #248
By October 2015, Taika Waititi had entered negotiations to direct Thor: Ragnarok. Other filmmakers considered for the job included Ruben Fleischer, Rob Letterman and Rawson Marshall Thurber, while Elizabeth Banks expressed interest in pitching but never met with Marvel.
- #252
Feige explained that Hulk's fate at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron was left ambiguous by changing a planned Quinjet flight near Saturn to an Earth-based location, to dispel rumors that a "Planet Hulk" film was in development, since Marvel Studios had no plans to adapt that storyline at the time.
- #253
According to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Thor: Ragnarok's production was expected to spend more than $100 million in Queensland and employ 750 Queenslanders.
- #254
Chris Hemsworth asked Marvel to make Thor: Ragnarok in his home country of Australia.
- #256
Mark Ruffalo described Thor: Ragnarok as a "road movie" in January 2016, when the film was entering pre-production, and said additional filming would take place in Sydney.
- #257
Taika Waititi was working on the Thor: Ragnarok script, mainly adding humor, and Eric Pearson joined to rewrite the screenplay.
- #258
Eric Pearson said joining Thor: Ragnarok was challenging because many puzzle pieces were already in place, including Cate Blanchett as Hela, plus Hulk, Valkyrie and Skurge, which he was asked to assemble.
- #262
Taika Waititi described his approach to Thor: Ragnarok as dismantling and rebuilding the franchise's old idea in a fresh way, with each character given a slightly new take, making it feel like a first Thor film.
- #263
Although Taika Waititi had seen and respected the other Thor films, he wanted Thor: Ragnarok to work as a standalone film, since it could be his only chance to make his own version of a Marvel film.
- #266
According to Winderbaum, the events of Thor: Ragnarok overlap with other Phase Three films, as "things happen on top of each other now in Phase Three".
- #267
Thor: Ragnarok sets up the MCU film Avengers: Infinity War (2018); Chris Hemsworth spoke with Infinity War directors Anthony and Joe Russo before receiving the Ragnarok script to see how the two would link.
- #268
Chris Hemsworth said Thor: Ragnarok "definitely bleeds nicely into those [films]", and Winderbaum compared its impact on the larger MCU to that of Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), saying it would break down previously established ideas about Asgard much as Winter Soldier broke down S.H.I.E.L.D.
- #269
Thor: Ragnarok used all nine sound stages at Village Roadshow Studios, with additional filming planned across Queensland, including Tamborine National Park.
- #271
Waititi described Thor: Ragnarok as a '70s/'80s sci-fi fantasy and the most 'out there' of all the Marvel movies, with a tone closest to Big Trouble in Little China.
- #272
For the road-trip aspect of Thor: Ragnarok, Waititi drew inspiration from 48 Hrs. (1982), Withnail and I (1987) and Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987).
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
Sources for the entries on this page
- Wikipedia Thor: Ragnarok — Wikipedia
- IMDb IMDb
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