During the trailer for Thor: Ragnarok that was revealed during San Diego Comic-Con 2017, fans got a chance to see a lot more of Valkyrie, but didn't learn much about the character's role in the story. For fans averse to spoilers, that's a good sign, as the film is still months away from hitting theaters and having a key character remain largely a mystery will likely further entice audiences on the movie's opening weekend.
But for those looking for some details before the film hits, Tessa Thompson recently revealed some details of her character's relationship with the Grandmaster and also spoke of her involvement in bringing Thor and Hulk into the story.
The Creed actor explains that her character works for Grandmaster, played by Jeff Goldblum, and that the two do not have a romantic relationship. She described the relationship as an "advantageous" one for Valkyrie, and also explained to CB exactly what it is she does for him:
"I bring the Grandmaster things that may be of interest to him, and one of those happens to be Thor. [The Grandmaster is] always grouping people together in fights, and I brought the Hulk to him, and so I bring Thor as a would-be contender, and hilarity ensues."
The "hilarity" Thompson mentions is likely a reference to the scene shown in the trailer of Thor's fight with the Hulk. Though the trailer and Thompson's comments indicate that the character will begin as an enemy of Thor, the trailer also shows Thor and Valkyrie working together, which suggests that the character will adopt a heroic role that more closely resembles her comic book counterpart.
The comic book version of Valkyrie does have some history with the Grandmaster, the ancient alien being who loves gambling. While a member of the Defenders, Valkyrie helped her allies thwart the Grandmaster's schemes. Valkyrie actually has much stronger connections to another villain, the Enchantress, who cursed Valkyrie so that she could never strike another woman. Also, in order for Valkyrie to live, her essence has to be bonded to a human female, causing Valkyrie to occupy the host's body.
Judging by what we know of Valkyrie so far, her origin has been altered a great deal to fit the movie. One thing that we already knew about her role in Thor: Ragnarok is that she would be replacing Jane Foster as Thor's love interest. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige claimed that Valkyrie "was much more his equal and in many ways his superior." It was also said that Valkyrie isn't interested in embracing her Asgardian heritage, which sounds more like the comic book character fans are familiar with, considering that comic book Valkyrie spent more time on Earth with the Defenders than on Asgard with her fellow warriors.
Next: Thor: Ragnarok Director Wanted Audiences to Feel ‘Uplifted’
Source: CB
