On Monday, a select few journalists were given a sneak peek of some of Marvel’s top secret projects, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Among the movies talked about was Thor: Ragnarok, which is set to premiere in November of this year.
Amongst the biggest surprises was the fact that director Taika Waititi will appear in the film as Korg, a large rock-like gladiator from the Plant Hulk comic book storyline. Waititi is known for inserting himself in one way or another into his films — last year he appeared briefly as a priest in The Hunt for the Wilderpeople. It will be interesting to see what kind of fun he brings to Korg and the film as a whole.
Waititi said that the designers worked long and hard to make Korg relatable, referring to the gladiator as a “good guy,” Waititi noted that “one of the easiest ways to relate to a character is the expression on his face, and particularly the eyes.”
The journalists were also able to view a scene from the film in which Thor, played again by Chris Hemsworth, is put into a holding cell like area with other gladiators such as Waititi’s Korg, and Miek — an alien with insect features. The holding area itself is a strange hallway that seems to run in a loop. Thor runs down the hallway and ends up back where he started. While there, Thor tells the two that he’s there to fight the Grandmaster’s champion, which we can only assume is going to be the Hulk himself (Mark Ruffalo).