Kevin Feige talks 'Thor: Ragnarok' and addresses a few spoiler-filled questions!
SPOILERS AHEAD - Stop if you have not seen Thor: Ragnarok
As Thor: Ragnarok heads into it's full week of release, Marvel Studio's head Kevin Feige made himself available for the film's press day. Speaking with the folks at Slashfilm and Collider, Feige addressed some spoiler-filled goodness, including how they assembled the Asgardian thespians who reenacted Loki's sacrifice in Thor: The Dark World, and whose ship appears during the film's end credits...
-- Entering spoiler territory --
Speaking with Collider, Feige shared this regarding that scene involving those notable cameos:
“There was an idea in the script phase. I don’t remember if it was our writer, Eric Pearson’s or if it was Taika [Waititi]’s or if it was our executive producer, Brad Winderbaum to bring the audience up to speed on the fact that everybody thinks Loki is dead. So that when it was revealed that he was Odin, it would make some semblance of sense to people who weren’t following along from all the films. There was this idea to do it in this funny sort of stage play which Loki/Odin had put on to celebrate himself. We then watched whatever was the season before last Game of Thrones. They did a similar thing where they had a stage play with some events from other episodes, not that we were like, “Oh crap.” But then it’s different enough.
Feige is referring to the meta scene that pokes fun at the franchise and Loki's narcissistic ways whereby Tom Hiddleston's Loki is a spectator at an Asgardian play depicting the ending of 2013's Thor: The Dark World. Feige shares how Waititi and Hemsworth were instrumental in securing those cameos for Ragnarok's on-screen thespians - Sam Neill as Odin, Luke Hemsworth as Thor, and Chris Hemsworth's real life buddy Matt Damon as Loki:
There was a fun idea of “Let’s get Luke Hemsworth to play Thor,” Taika had worked with Sam Neill in Hunt for the Wilderpeople. He was willing to come in and do Odin. So who could be Loki? Who could be Loki? Who could be Loki? We didn’t have any brilliant ideas. At one point, off handedly, Mr. Hemsworth goes, “Well what if I ask my friend Matt?” I said, “Matt who?” He said, “My friend, Matt Damon.” “Okay. Sure. Sure Chris, ask your friend Matt Damon. He’s not doing this. Oh he’s gonna do it. He’s flying down.” The next thing I know, Matt Damon is on set in a full Loki costume, full Loki wig. We have pictures that maybe we’ll share some day of Tom Hiddleston in a full Loki outfit standing next to Matt Damon in full Loki outfit. It is very surreal and very amazing. What a testament to, I just met him for the first time, I wasn’t there when he shot this. I just met him for the first time last night. What an awesome thing, for him to come down here for his friend. It was purely based on his friendship with Hemsworth that he came and did this.”
This is why we can have nice things.
Peter Sciretta at /Film got Feige to (sorta) reveal whether or not that was Thanos' ship that appears in the end credits - in which Feige responded - "It’s a good guess [nodding his head]...Yeah. You won’t have to wait very long to find out. What was it? October? Seven months, eight months…" Feige is referring to Avengers: Infinity War which comes out six months from now on May 4, 2018.
For additional nuggets, check out Collider and /Film full interviews.
Our reviews for Thor: Ragnarok can be found here (@ImFrancoBosco), here (@LCJReviews), and here (@TripleZ_87).
