What will The Hulk be doing in “Thor: Ragnarok”?
It is hard to argue against the notion that the “Thor” series is one of the weaker elements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was fun when it hit theatres in 2010, but “Thor: The Dark World” was unquestionably a drag -- and it's often considered the worst entry in the MCU. Chris Hemsworth's solo Marvel franchise needs an absolute blast to redeem itself, and that's where “Thor: Ragnarok” comes in. Disney has just released an official synopsis for the third installment, and it sounds like the film is quite literally shooting for the stars with the help of The Hulk.
Disney has finally released the synopsis for Taika Waititi's “Thor: Ragnarok”, and it seems like nothing that fans have ever seen from a “Thor” movie before. The overall premise of the film follows everyone's favorite Asgardian marooned across the universe -- without the aid of his magic hammer Mjolnir -- in a desperate race to get back home before the villainous Hela's (Cate Blanchett) apocalyptic “Ragnarok” event destroys his kingdom. Along the way, he finds himself stranded on an alien planet and forced to face off against The Incredible Hulk in a vicious gladiator battle.
Based on this synopsis, it sounds like Marvel is going to tell a hybrid Hulk-Thor story that serves the needs of both characters in different ways. While “Thor: Ragnarok” will pay off the plot threads planted during Thor's dream sequence in “The Avengers: Age of Ultron”, it seems that the film will also serve as a de facto “Planet Hulk” movie. This makes quite a bit of sense, as Marvel does not currently have a solo Hulk movie on its slate at any point in the near future, and this is an easy way to appease fans that have demanded a “Planet Hulk” movie for quite some time.
It's also worth noting that it seems highly probable that MCU fans will gain far more information about where Hulk has been since he decided to leave Earth at the end of last “Avengers” movie. The Marvel Cinematic Universe progresses in real time, which means that the strongest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes has been missing for at least two and a half years. Ragnarok looks like to fill in the character's back-story and telling fans where he has been since his dramatic departure in the Quinjet after vanquishing Ultron.
The mighty Asgardian warrior and his big green friend will smash their way into theatres later this year on November 3, 2017.