When "Thor: Ragnarok" hits theaters in November, the God of Thunder will have to face friend and foe alike to stop Ragnarok, the end of Asgard. In anticipation of the film, Entertainment Weekly has released several new photos that showcase Thor's colorful array of supporting characters, from Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie to Jeff Goldblum's Grandmaster.
The photos also feature Bruce Banner, who Thor will encounter on Sakaar, which star Chris Hemsworth described as "where every wormhole across the universe dumps out its trash." Thor and Banner look equally surprised to see one another, but they both appear to be excited nonetheless. Notably, Banner is himself here, rather than his mean green alter ego Hulk. However, it likely won't be long until Banner Hulks out, seeing as the two friends will have to face each other in a gladiatorial contest.
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Additionally, Golblum makes his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Grandmaster in the photos. “He’s a hedonist, a pleasure-seeker, an enjoyer of life and tastes and smells. I thought, ‘I can do that, I’ll bet!'” Goldblum said of his character in an earlier interview. Goldblum's Grandmaster is ancient; after all, he is considered an Elder Universe, a cosmic being with extensive knowledge. In the comics, he is known for his love of games and has set various Marvel heroes and villains against one another in battle, including Death.
The photos also offer a look at Loki, who seems to be having a good time; the figure behind him to his right is dressed similarly to Grandmaster, so Loki may be enjoying Grandmaster's particular form of entertainment. Cate Blanchett's Hela stares ominously off into the distance in another photo, while Valkyrie seems wary of Thor and her surroundings in yet another.
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According to the film's official synopsis,
In Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok, Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok — the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization — at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger — the Incredible Hulk!
Directed by Taika Waititi and starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Anthony Hopkins, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban and Mark Ruffalo, “Thor: Ragnarok” is set to be released on November 3, 2017.