Things seem to be shaping up well with the production of “Thor: Ragnarok”. The film is apparently going to be quite the expansive work, featuring multiple different characters from all over the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We’ve just seen reports that Doctor Strange and The Hulk are going to be among the special appearances, and there are also claims that more will be announced soon.
How exactly the characters will be tied to the whole story remains to be seen, and there has been no shortage of speculation among fans on the Internet. Official reports haven’t shed much light on the situation, and fans have taken the opportunity to revise some of the previous Marvel films for any possible hints.
With about a year left to go before the film hits the screen, there’s plenty of time for Marvel themselves to drop those hints to keep their fans excited. It would actually be an interesting way to lead up to the main trailer of the film, showing various bits of the involvement of other characters along the way.
There are also rumors that the involvement of some of those characters in the plot is going to change from what fans previously know about them, although it’s not clear if this refers to their roles in previous Marvel films, or the original comics. It would be a bit strange for Marvel to actually change facts they’ve established in their recent films, so the rumors most probably concern the comics.
But then, that wouldn’t really be a new development in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as we’ve already seen the studio changing the premise of their various characters in different ways before, in order to adapt them better to their film versions.
Another interesting detail some fans have pointed out about the recent rumors is that there is actually very little talk about Thor himself, and what the character’s role is going to be. This could be because fans familiar with the hero would already know what to expect from the film, so there is more focus on the involvement of others in the previews.
We’ve also seen some interesting discussions about the possibility of “Thor: Ragnarok” laying the foundations for a separate film about The Hulk. Of all of Marvel’s characters who deserve their own film in the eyes of fans, The Hulk is probably the one that’s been brought up the most. And yet, there is no news on the horizon about a possible production centered around him.
There are claims that this could all change with the release of “Thor: Ragnarok” though, as the role of The Hulk in the new film could lead up to him being featured in a separate production that expands his current story.
However, there is still another issue on that horizon which will have to be resolved before there are even any talks of a standalone “The Hulk” film, and it’s actually quite the critical one – there is a licensing dispute preventing this from happening at the moment.
So no matter how well the story of “Thor: Ragnarok” sets things up for a separate film about The Hulk, this will never be a guarantee that the producers will get a chance to execute that project. Perhaps fans might be able to convince the current copyright holders to change their minds if there is enough interest though, and the release of “Thor: Ragnarok” may be intended to create such an effect.