New faces in Marvel’s space

BY MEREDITH WOERNER >>> “Thor: Ragnarok” might be the third title in the Marvel Cinematic Universe about the god of thunder, but this colorful deviation is no mere knockoff of its predecessors. Gone are the golden turrets of Asgard, overthrown by the goddess of death (played by Cate Blanchett), whose ’80s metal band swagger debuted at Comic-Con, setting fans on fire. The serious Nordic costumes have been electrified with Jack Kirby-inspired cosmic blues and reds. And instead of leaning on choral anthems, the new score will usher in a synth symphony channeling the hypnotizing sounds of Jean-Michel Jarre. The driving force behind these electric, retro-tinged changes is director Taika Waititi, best known for writing and directing the cult comedies “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and “What We Do in the Shadows.”

“Ragnarok,” which opens Nov. 3, finds Thor imprisoned on the planet Sakaar, where he must fight to survive in the Grandmaster’s gladiator games. It’s the stuff of life and death. But Waititi didn’t lose sight that it’s entertainment. “If we were taking things a little too seriously, I would say, ‘Never forget that we’re making a cosmic adventure with a space Viking,’ ” the director said by phone. “That sort of captures it all. We’ve got the Incredible Hulk, and a giant woman with antlers. We’ve got aliens and spaceships. It’s almost like a bunch of kids were asked what they wanted to put into a movie, and then we just did that.”

And while it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of Waititi’s aesthetic changes (Thor cut his hair!), perhaps the most exciting addition to the Marvel universe is the new cast members, who feel like they were plucked from a late-night Internet fan casting session. All your faves are in this f lick. Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Rachel House and the aforementioned Blanchett are all part of Waititi’s “space Viking” opus.

So we rounded up the newbies to find out who they’re playing and what it’s like being on Team Marvel.