The arrival of Thor: Ragnarok couldn't be coveted any more, thanks to the unique style and vision of director Taika Waititi. With trailers showing as close as Marvel fans will get to a reboot of Thor the solo hero, and a story set to cement both Thor and Hulk a everyone's favorite Avengers, entrusting the film to what some may view as a Hollywood outsider is paying off. And when we spoke to Waititi on the set of Ragnarok, he made it clear: he's not worrying about the larger MCU, or even the coming Infinity War.

This may be his only chance to make a Thor movie the way he thinks ti should be done. Which means he's not holding back - not even when it comes to casting himself in the blockbuster.

Can you talk a little bit about just striking a balance between putting your own personal stamp on this and serving a larger corporate beast. This is a huge endeavor with tentacles that reach out to all these other things.

There’s definitely a challenge with wanting to be true to what the fans want, and to the universe itself. But I have to keep reminding myself that I was hired for a reason, and I think one of those reasons is because of the kind of stories I tell, and the kind of films that I’ve made previously. Obviously it has to be… trying to unify my type of storytelling with this kind of content, and hopefully it all comes out really nicely in the end.

But also… you know, I don’t want to make an episode of some larger thing. I know that it will be, and that all the pieces will fit together. But it’s not my job to make sure they fit together. It’s not my job to make sure that this makes sense three movies down the tracks for one of the other franchises. My job is to make a film that can sit alone as a standalone piece that obviously I’ll be proud of.

But I want it to be a film that, if it’s the only Marvel film you see, that it’s a great film and it’s a great story in and of itself. The lucky thing is that there are a bunch of geniuses who run Marvel who make sure that it even if it’s a standalone piece, it is part of a great big jigsaw puzzle that could be appreciated as a whole as well.

When you came aboard the film, how much did you change from what was already there?

There were already story ideas when I came on board. A lot of that changed over the first sort of three or four months. Right from the beginning, they had wanted… just to lighten it a little bit, and to kind of embrace a bit more of the adventure aspect of it. You know, the last two films, well definitely the last film was a little darker. Personally I feel like, and I’ve said this before, is that if the movie’s called Thor, then Thor should be the best character. That’s what my main focus was: making him cool and funny when he needs to be, heroic when he needs to be, and, you know, obviously there’ll be a certain degree of pathos, and some emotionality to it as well.

If you’ve seen my other films, there’s always a balance between some comedy and some drama, and I think that’s a satisfying story to watch. So that’s always been my focus with this whole thing. To make it really entertaining, and poignant, and profound when it needs to be. And also adventurous when it needs to be, and funny when it needs to be.

Talking about that balance, do you find that in the script? Do you find it here on set? Do you find that in the editing room? Where does that come in?

Everything, really. The script, you know... I always find scripts a bit more of a skeleton, the template. We improvise pretty much most scenes. We'll improvise some stuff. I'll be next to actors and yell suggestions at them all the time, and that goes for everyone. I've done it with Tony, with Cate, everyone, they're all okay with that. Uh, luckily. And that's just from coming from that place... with my friends I'm used to doing that, and yelling at each other for outtakes, and being messy. But I think, from that messiness comes really great kinda spur of the moment stuff.

And the balance is always found for me-- the main balance found on the editing. So with most takes, I do stuff that's way over the top, and then bring it down and get something exactly what's on the page, and then something that's a nice sort of middle balance where the tone is, like... I guess... I want to say believable, but probably just a little bit more natural. A little bit more natural.

Thor stands in his armor with a shield in the arena in Thor: Ragnarok

What kind of Thor do we meet at the start the film, as opposed to the previous four movies he's been featured in?

Well, he’s a lot grubbier. That’s been one of my main things… I think everyone’s a bit too shiny and clean in the other films. So we’re just trying to… You know, I love heroes that really go through ordeals, and they come out the other end completely changed, not just ‘Oh I’ve got a girlfriend now.’ They come out the other side, they’ve been through the ringer. We do a lot to this character in this film.

And you know, a lot of people have been wanting to see this idea of Ragnarok. A lot of people are excited by the idea of what Ragnarok means. But to me, it means stripping down the establishment of what’s already there, and then building it up in a new way. Which is almost like this cyclical idea of Ragnarok. So there’s my own personal idea of Ragnarok: what we’re doing to the character and to the franchise, and to the story. But in a way where what comes out the other end is way more exciting and interesting. And in a way, you can never go back from that.

It seems like you're really inspired by Jack Kirby obviously, and also some Jason Aaron's more recent stuff, and Planet Hulk. Why those, and is there anything else you pulled from?

We pulled from... really it was Planet Hulk. And we pulled a little bit from God of Thunder, with the Gorr runs... I just sort of looked at all the stuff that I personally feel are the coolest things in the comics [Laughs]. Just like, 'We should have that! We should have that! We should have that! We should have that!' Because... you can stay true to the comics, but I think you can ruin things by staying too true.

With every comic run there's always a retelling, and you see that with all the main characters. There's rebirths, there's alternate universes, and this really is 'why not just take all the best parts?' And this film is so crazy. And so eclectic, and there's so many amazing characters. Think about the characters: Hulk and a new style of Banner that we've never seen before. New Thor. Hela. Loki's in there obviously. Then Grandmaster. It really is, to my mind, the craziest of the Marvel films. In a good way.

What are the unique challenges of continuing a Thor franchise specifically?

I think the main challenge, for me, was actually working at getting away from the other two films. And again… Yes, the other films are there, and it’s great to watch them. I think they’re good films. But I don’t mind if people start with this film. In my mind, for me, this is is my ‘Thor 1.’

I’ve seen the other films, and I respect them a lot. But I can’t spend too much time thinking about this as a threequel. Because then I’ll get tied up too much in respecting what went before, and respecting what’s going to come after. It just, for me, has to be a standalone thing. Because this could be the only time I do this. And I just want to make it a version of a Marvel film in the best way possible.

Speaking of that, you're also known for a recurring ensemble. We've heard that Rachel House is coming back. Is anybody else that has been in your other films making an appearance?

TW : Yeah. There's another actor, Cullen Holloway, who's in all my other films. He plays one of the werewolves in Shadows. And he's in Boy, so he's been in all my films...

You're in it.

I'm in it. I'm recurring, I'm in all my films. I can't help it. I'll just... I'll just jam myself in there if there's a space. But that's it.

Korg shoots in Thor Ragnarok

Can you speak about being in it? We heard a little bit.

Yeah so I'm playing one of the Planet Hulk characters, Korg. Who's a Kronan. He's a bit bigger than me. So that's all mocap. That's one of the... for me it's really fun. And I often, like, will jump in, like Mark's no longer here, so I'll often jump in for Hulk stuff. Because we have stand-ins but they're not actors, and they don't have timing and stuff, and so I'll jump in for those things Now and then just... I'll be in there quite a lot.

Didn't you do Surtur, as well?

Surtur, I did Surtur as well. Who will probably be re-voiced by someone else [Laughs].

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Chris Hemsworth in Thor Ragnarok

Even just looking at Chris on set, it's clear that this might be the first time that a Thor adventure marks him. Like you said, we haven't really seen that in the first two movies.

Yeah!

How do you look at that character and say 'this is gonna be a really fun, enjoyable adventure' when it might not be for Thor?

Right. Right, right. Um... what we do with his personality. You know, you think Thor's spent two years on Earth, hanging out with Robert Downey, Jr.. So he's got some sass. And he just knows a little bit more about irony and sarcasm now. He's got a little bit of Earth humor. He's like the rich kid from outer space who's spent some time-- slumming it for a bit, you know? So he's instantly become a bit more interesting.

Because he's in different parts of the cosmos, he's still learning as he goes. And also that's the challenge-- we haven't modeled it completely on this but, when I came to this, I always in my mind had imagined Thor... a great Thor being a bit like Jack Burton [Big Trouble in Little China]. So just someone who's, like... What's the version of Thor just wanting to get his truck back? [Laughs] And then being pulled into this, like, crazy adventure. So Jack Burton is a great hero who's sort of making his way through the adventure... This is different because Thor is definitely the protagonist, and he's driving it. But...

Chris said he's doing it because he has no choice.

Yeah!

That he's the only person that can.

Yeah... Yeah, absolutely. I thought you meant Chris doing it. Like that's also true! [Laughs]

Can you talk about casting Cate Blanchett? Obviously someone who is so respected as an actor, but so new to the superhero role that some might think it s surprising choice.

The thing that's surprised me, I think about all the actors including Hopkins, is just how... how far they can push it if they're given permission to not do what everyone knows them for. And that goes especially for Hopkins. You know. So some of the stuff we did with his character. I think you can tell when actors are like, 'Okay. They want me to do Tony Hopkins... saying words.' And I think with everyone including Cate as well. We said, you know... they got permission to be funny. And to destroy what's come before, and recreate it.

Hela joking Thor in Thor: Ragnarok

Do you think it takes an actor to get that trust out of actors like them?

 

Maybe. You know? I think maybe... I think a lot of people are very scared to talk to actors. Whereas I don't... care. But I think that it's something that everyone as an actor wants. People who have done four movies or forty movies. You want to find work interesting. You want to come to work and go 'This is gonna be a challenge." And I think for all of these actors, it has been interesting. It has been exciting. When I first met Cate one of the first things she said to me was 'I just want to punch people. I just want to do something where I get to have fun. And my kids are gonna enjoy watching this.

How is this changing or pushing you as a filmmaker in terms of going to the bigger canvas and way more effects and everything about this is bigger than what you've done previously?

I don't think it's changed... it may have spoiled me. So when I go back to my smaller films, which I will do, I'll be like 'where's those nice... ice coffee things... they were handing out before? Why are we eating carrot sticks again?' At first I was a little apprehensive, you know, coming into something like this. I've done a lot of commercials and big, you know, been on big sets before.

So I was okay with how that runs. It's more that I didn't realize that after doing this for a few months, what we're doing essentially is exactly the same as all my other films. At the end of the day, when you call action the lens is pointed at two or three people who are trying to remember lines and say them to eachother in a convincing way. And from Eagle vs. Shark all the way through to this is the exact same experience. And all the rest of this is all shut out when you're looking down at the little rectangle.

So for me the, the experience is completely the same, other than we have to do a lot more effects passes with balls and charts and all that stuff, and that's all part of it. I don't get annoyed by how long that stuff takes because I've seen all these other films, and know how good it can look if you take the time to get that stuff right.

So the Sanctum Sanctorum is popping up in the film, I'm asking because Justice League filmed a scene for Suicide Squad, are you guys building a new set here? Are you guys gonna go out to London? I don't know if you already did it.

For...

 

The Sanctum Sanctorum, the Doctor Strange set.

Oh! Um... who's been talking to you about that? What am I allowed to say?

Brad and the concept art.

Oh you've seen the concept art and stuff? Okay cool. Right. Yeah. We did that.

So you guys made your own here?

Uhhh... [shouting] Someone tell me what I'm allowed to say!

We've heard that you have been using music on set to create a vibe when it's called for. And you also told Tessa Thompson listen to some music to inspire her performance. I was wondering what kind of music you've been using, and how that influences things?

Yeah, yeah, yeah! They, um... hold on let me just check this frame [Checks framing for shot]. So the music... I play music all the time because silence... freaks me out. I try to have, like, a very relaxed set. Just more of a family feel. We've got kids running around all the time. I don't know if you saw but Chris's kids were here running around, kids are everywhere. And music is just a good way to keep... the crew loves it, it's motivational, and just makes you relax.

You were blasting Goblin?

Yeah. Suspiria, yeah. [Laughs]

Can you tell us about the villain? Not only do you have the first female MCU villain, but you also have Loki in the film who is, far away, the MCU's biggest star when it comes to to the villains.

Yeah! So... Kate is the first female villain. And if I’m honest for me, the most interesting villain, that [Marvel has] had. Because she’s multidimensional. She’s layered. She’s troubled. She’s really funny. And you know, it’s not just like ‘[evil laugh] Now if I can finally get the thing, then this will happen!’ There’s a little bit of that, but there’s so many other things going on for her. So I think it’s going to be really satisfying for people. She’s amazing. Her character, you know, she is very tough. Amazing powers. She IS Hela, and she wears the cowl, and she has the antlers, and she looks amazing in the concept art and stuff. Thor in the films has never fought anyone tougher than this lady.

You were a supporting player in a big comic book movie that is viewed as having not worked, Green Lantern. Were there any lessons you learned as having been sort of an observer and a participant?

Not necessarily that film. I mean, when I was in that film I was just determined to try and do a good job with the job I was doing there. I spent a long time just sitting around on set, as you do, and so I’d watch a lot of how Martin [Campbell] would run things. And he’s a great– he runs a set very, very well, and very efficient. But again, very different to the way I do things, and I think I probably learned more watching a lot of other super hero movies, and a lot of big studio films, you know. I started realizing, ‘Oh I think I know what’s going wrong with these films.’A

Usually it comes down to story, and the fact that they… I don’t know. I don’t want to speak out too much [laughs]. But story is still king in my mind, and we worked a lot on the script. We stopped for an hour to just keep working a scene to make sure we got it right, and to make sure that it made sense. There’s one way you can do it, [which] is just bust on through and try and make your day, and you get stuff in the can, but it’s basically worthless when you come to edit.

So we just want to take the time to make sure we get stuff right. And all these actors are great at that. Chris [Hemsworth] especially is very smart and very savvy when it comes to story. I think he’s learned on a lot of the films he’s done, you’ve got to discuss it and make sure you get it right the first time. So we spend a long time doing that.

Next: Thor Missed CIVIL WAR Hunting For Thanos

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