A couple months ago I wrote about some developments with Thor: Ragnarok, including that the big-screen Marvel villainess will debut in that movie. This is what I said back then:
…empowered by their recent A-list success in casting Doctor Strange, Marvel will pursue a big name actress for Mystery Villainess—like Cate Blanchett big.
They were actually already pursuing Blanchett, but it was early days. Now Variety confirms that she is in talks to star in Ragnarok, though the role is still unknown. Everything I’ve heard about this movie so far has panned out, though, so I’m banking on her playing a villain. The best bet is still either the sorceress Amora, or—and I think this is more likely—Hela, ruler of the realm of the dead. Or maybe even Death herself—Thanos, the big bad in Avengers: Infinity War, is in love with Death and trying to woo her by way of destroying the universe.
Thor has become Marvel’s most female-friendly franchise, and with Ragnarok they’re really leaning into that. They brought in a female screenwriter (Stephany Folsom) to rework the script, and they’re adding at least one, maybe even two, prominent female roles. One of the most likeable things about Chris Hemsworth is that he’s 100% down with this direction for his franchise. If Cate Blanchett closes this deal, she’ll be the main draw on the press tour in 2017. And I really don’t think Hemsworth will care.
