Mark Ruffalo Praises Thor 3's Female Leads

Mark Ruffalo has nothing but great words for his Thor: Ragnarok female co-stars, Cate Blanchett and Tessa Thompson, as well as their respective characters in the movie, Hela and Valkyrie. Both Blanchett and Thompson are novices to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but their Ragnarok characters are already resonating fans - thanks in no small part to the film's marketing painting them as cunning warriors who have significant roles to play in Chris Hemsworth's third solo vehicle as the God of Thunder. Directed by New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi, the film will also see the return of Tom Hiddleston's conniving Loki, as well as Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/The Hulk.

Much has been said about where Ragnarok will fit in the overarching narrative of the MCU - but just in terms of the Thor movies, the film seems like something that we have never seen before. Gone are the more dull color palettes, having been replaced by a more vibrant backdrop that is very reminiscent of Jack Kirby's comic book panels. Waititi has also said that he view Ragnarok as the first installment of the series and a separate entity from the larger MCU. That said, Ragnarok will still connect to the larger franchise, especially as it helps to set the stage for directors Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Infinity War (which opens in 2018).

Related: How Ragnarok Makes Infinity War Possible

Speaking to The Indian Express, Ruffalo complimented both Blanchett and Thomspon for their respective Ragnarok roles, saying “It is great that we have Blanchett and Thompson, these two amazing, powerful, strong, beautiful, intelligent women, playing these two important, integral characters in this movie.” Further, he also shared some insight on what we can expect from Hela and Valkyrie in Ragnarok:

“We have Hela, played by Blanchett. She has all the power, all the strength, all the talent of any of the other gods, but with all the rage. She’s angry, and she wants to come back and take what she feels is rightfully hers. Except that she’s been pushed so far into the darkness that she’s become dark. She’s now the manifestation of death.”

“Then you have Valkyrie, played by Thompson. She is another female presence who didn’t feel welcome. She’s a powerhouse and a brilliant fighter. She’s as equally as powerful as Thor. She’s a warrior. Valkyrie is one of the people who ended up banishing Hela from Asgard. But she’s also lost faith in the patriarchy and the elite power structure."

It is no secret that despite the MCU's success both commercially and critically, the franchise has been plagued with under-cooked villains - a problem that could be solved with the arrival of Hela. Blanchett's Goddess of Death is not only the first main female villain in the MUC, but she is also being hyped up by Marvel Studios as their best villains yet. Depending on her fate in Ragnarok, there is a good chance that Hela will return in later films, especially given the rumors about her ties to Infinity War big bad Thanos (Josh Brolin). As for Valkyrie, the character is really more of a wildcard - having previously worked for the Asgardian king Odin (Anthony Hopkins), before settling into Sakaar under the watch of The Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) and then, eventually, joining forces with the God of Thunder and his "Revengers."

All things considered, Thor: Ragnarok has some high expectations from fans that need to be met. Thus far, judging from all the marketing materials we have seen in the movie, it is shaping to be not only Thor's best solo film, but maybe one of the MCU's best (if not the best) efforts yet too.