Some Things We Learned from the Thor: Ragnarok Teaser

After what has seemed like a very long wait, we’ve finally gotten our first peek at Thor: Ragnarok. We’re delighted to let you know that things are looking pretty good. We already posted the trailer and have since watched and rewatched the tantalizing two minutes to break down what we’ve managed to learn from the sneak peek at one of Marvel’s biggest upcoming movies.

Cate Blanchett Looks Incredible

If there’s one thing that we hadn’t quite seen from the MCU yet, it was a powerful female villain. We’ve known for some time that Cate Blanchett would be playing the big baddie for this picture, but the trailer gave us our first glimpse of the goddess in action. The costume looks downright incredible on the screen, and the way she crushes Thor’s hammer with one hand shows us right off the bat that she’s not a pushover. This is probably the most epic we’ve seen Blanchett since she played the Elven queen, Galadriel, back in The Lord of the Rings, and we’re happy to welcome her back to the world of fantasy.

They’re Incorporating Parts of “Planet Hulk”

The comic book fans among you are likely already more than familiar with the “Planet Hulk” storyline and it’s going to be a big part of Thor: Ragnarok. It’s hard to believe that the now classic storyline by Greg Pak was written a decade ago. The arc dealt with what happened when several of Marvel’s biggest heroes decided the Hulk was too powerful and destructive to stay on Earth, so they shot him into space where he couldn’t be a threat to anyone. Hulk then crash landed on the planet Sakaar where he was forced to battle in a gladiatorial arena for the amusement of the planet’s ruler, the Red King. Thor never shows up in the comic so they’re obviously taking some major liberties, but “Planet Hulk” remains one of the best comic stories in recent memory and we’re thrilled to see even some of it on the big screen.

They Have to Make a Video Game for This

This isn’t so much something we picked out from the trailer, but instead something the teaser left us drooling for. Watching Thor and the Hulk face off with hammers and axes in an extraterrestrial ring already sounds like a perfect video game pitch, and Marvel needs to make it happen. You can still find the character included in games that feature full teams like the Avengers among the thousands of slot titles offered around the world, but Thor hasn’t ever gotten the treatment he deserves when it comes his own solo game. This is the perfect opportunity to do the Norse god justice. Even if it’s just a mobile-based fighting game, all we really want is the opportunity to battle two of Marvel’s strongest heroes against each other in the digital arena. Come on Marvel, just shut up and take our money.

We’re Going to See A Lot More of Idris Elba as Heimdall

Idris Elba’s casting as Heimdall (keeper of the Bifrost Bridge between Asgard and Earth) has always been a high point of the MCU, but we’ve never seen too much of the character in action. Heimdall has generally been relegated to a bit part, so we were excited when there were rumors that the character would have more to do in the movie. Luckily, those rumors seem to have been well founded and it’s good to see the character get his due this time around. The trailer shows Elba fighting against what seems to one of Hela’s minions in the forest, and we expect to see much more of Heimdall in this entry.

It might have been a long wait, but so far it definitely feels like it was worth it. The movie looks like it’s going to be fun and action packed, much in the same vein as Guardians of the Galaxy. After the much more dreary Thor: The Dark World, it could be just the thing the franchise needs. Thor: Ragnarok is scheduled for a November 3 release.