thor ragnarok

Last year, Mark Ruffalo hinted that Thor: Ragnarok might finally let Bruce Banner and the Hulk interact with each other on the big screen. It’s something that’s occasionally happened in the Marvel comics, but we’ve yet to see the MCU take a crack at it — likely because it requires a bit of clever thinking: not only do they need to cook up a cool way to present it to audiences, but it needs to come from an organic place. That place may very well be Ragnarok.

Tom Hiddleston hasn’t seemed particularly enthusiastic or optimistic about reprising the role of Loki in the MCU, but with Avengers: Infinity War promising the epic assembly of Marvel characters yet and a new Thor sequel on the way, the actor’s return seemed inevitable. During a recent appearance at Wizard World, Hiddleston expressed excitement for Thor: Ragnarok, teasing the evolution of his mischievous villain and confirming another run-in with the Hulk. Oh, and he also responded to those James Bond rumors.

Typically, we approach rumors with a healthy amount of skepticism, as so many of them ultimately turn out to be false. But the latest report on Thor: Ragnarok echoes a very similar rumor from earlier this year, which reveals how Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk is introduced in the sequel and what brings him together with Chris Hemsworth’s mighty thunder god. It also suggests that the previously abandoned Planet Hulk story line may have found its way into Ragnarok — if only just a teensy tiny little bit. Potential spoilers ahead, obviously.

Unlike some of his peers, Mark Ruffalo really loves to talk about what’s up in his corner of the MCU — and you can’t really blame the guy, since Thor: Ragnarok is the closest thing Ruffalo is getting to his own Hulk movie for the foreseeable future. As you may recall, it was Ruffalo who excitedly spilled the beans about Cate Blanchett’s casting in the upcoming Thor sequel, and now he has a few more hints about what we can expect from his awesome new co-star and her “evil” role.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is going to Hela.

Natalie Portman not showing up in the next Thor movie, Thor: Ragnarok, is not news. (Neither is the addition of Tessa Thompson to the cast in her absence.) We’ve known that for a few months now. The explanation for Portman’s absence hasn’t be fully revealed yet, though, and that’s something Marvel Grand Poobah Kevin Feige got into a little bit during his recent appearance on the Empire Film Podcast.

Dear White People and Creed breakout star Tessa Thompson’s casting in Thor: Ragnarok was just announced this week, and while many have speculated about her potential role, a new rumor may prove some of that speculation correct. Thompson may have not only been cast as a badass superhero, but one that we’ll see in future MCU films, making her addition to Ragnarok doubly exciting.

The Thor franchise never quite did right by Natalie Portman. Sure, she had good chemistry with her superheroic co-star, Chris Hemsworth. But through two films, she never really got any true standout moments, and mostly just played an effective (if very intelligent) damsel in distress for the God of Thunder. She certainly never got the kind of scenes or dialogue that made other Marvel women like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts or Hayley Atwell’s Agent Carter such crucial and beloved parts of the wider Marvel Universe. If we’re being honest, the role of Dr. Jane Foster, at least as it was written, wasn’t worthy of her talents.

Tom Hiddleston’s Loki has been one of the most endearing and exciting characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite the fact that he’s the villain of not one, but three Marvel movies, fans love Loki and can’t seem to get enough of him. But, if Tom Hiddleston is to be believed, you should enjoy Thor: Ragnarok because that will be the last you see of him.

Superhero movies are a dominant force in modern blockbuster cinema, but with so many heroes appearing on our screens it can be tough to keep up with the release calendar. To help make it a little easier for superhero fans to know which weekends to keep free over the next few years, designer Dylan Todd has created this infographic featuring all the upcoming releases from Marvel Studios, Fox, Sony, Warner Bros and more, starring characters from the DC Universe, the Marvel Universe, the X-Men books, Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Valiant Universe, and more.