Old friends become new enemies in the rip-roaring first teaser trailer for Thor: Ragnarok, Marvel and Taika Waititi’s galactic threequel.
Set to the iconic strum of Led Zeppelin’s famous “Immigrant Song” – fitting, given that Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder is essentially the immigrant stranded on the alien planet of Sakaar – today’s promo begins with a smattering of eye-popping CGI shots and doesn’t let up, culminating in the long-awaited moment when Thor is left to tussle with a rampaging Hulk. “We know each other,” Hemsworth’s title lead bellows. “He’s a friend from work!” But if Bruce Banner’s alter-ego has any memory of their last encounter, it doesn’t show, with today’s teaser ending with the money shot to end all money shots: Thor and Hulk, both clad in gladiator armor, ready to lock horns under the watchful eye of Jeff Goldblum’s wonderfully eccentric Grandmaster.
An old ally gone mad won’t be Thor’s only cause for concern, as we also get a peek at Cate Blanchett’s all-powerful Goddess of Death, Hela. She means business, too, after crushing Mjölnir without so much as breaking a sweat. With his hammer gone and Asgard on the verge of destruction, Chris Hemsworth’s hero begins his journey back home, all in the hope of besting Hela once and for all. Up first is a quick detour to the planet Sakaar, where he’ll meet Valkyrie, a badass warrior to be played by Creed breakout Tessa Thompson. Judging by the snippet above, Thor will need all the help he can muster if he really is to return to Asgard, and we imagine Tom Hiddleston’s returning Loki will cause one or two headaches along the way for good measure.
Thor: Ragnarok descends into theaters worldwide on November 3rd. It’s the same release corridor in which Doctor Strange became a box office smash, conjuring up enough box office receipts to become Marvel’s most successful single-character launch in the MCU’s short history.
Will Waititi’s threequel reach the same dizzying heights this year? We’ll find out soon, but one thing’s for sure: remember when James Gunn claimed Ragnarok‘s inaugural trailer was one of the best Marvel has ever produced? We’re inclined to believe him.