This year is a big one for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For the first time, we’ll be getting three entries into their long-running franchise. First up is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, followed by Spider-Man: Homecoming (which is being co-produced by Sony Pictures), and finally, Thor: Ragnarok. While the latter of the three is still some ways away (it’s due out in November), EW had several details to share regarding the plot of the film.

According to the outlet, Thor: Ragnarok will follow our titular hero following the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron. When last we saw him, he was in search of the mysterious force that he saw in the hot springs in that really weird scene I’d sooner forget about. He hears bad news about his homeworld of Asgard. If you’ll recall, Loki had displaced Odin on the throne and had shapeshifted into his form, tricking Thor and the rest of the Asgardian kingdom. Well, as expected, Loki’s become something of a terrible ruler, and it leads to the reemergency of the imprisoned Hela, played by Cate Blanchett. Hela blasts Thor all the way to a planet called Sakaar, which is ruled by Grandmaster, played by Jeff Goldblum.

Thor comes across Valkyrie, played by Tessa Thompson, for whom “Thor is a bit of a fanboy,” Hemsworth told the outlet. Valkyrie turns around gives Thor to the Grandmaster, where he is forced into becoming a gladiator. If you had a chance to take a look at the EW cover yesterday, you’ll have noticed Thor’s new hairdo, and his loss of Mjolnir, his trusty hammer — well, he apparently has those taken from him as a result of becoming a gladiator (but how they manage to take the hammer from him is beyond us). 

Needless to say, this leads to Thor having to take on Sakaar’s best gladiator, the Hulk himself, Bruce Banner. When last we saw Banner, he was on a ship in Avengers: Age of Ultron, still reeling from his loss of control that led to a lot of trouble in the flick. For those worried about him being the same rage monster in previous films, fret not. It sounds like Hulk has pulled himself together, as mentioned by actor Mark Ruffalo.

“He’s much more of a character than the green rage machine you’ve seen in the Avengers movies. He’s got a swagger. He’s like a god.”

From there, the movie becomes what it’s been advertised as for the past several months: an intergalactic road trip with your pals Thor and Hulk. Plus, as hinted at at the end of Doctor Strange, we’ll also see a bit of Stephen Strange.

However, the real interesting bit of news came from the film’s director Taika Waititi, who discusses Thor: Ragnarok as a means to reinvent the Thor franchise.

“A lot of what we’re doing with the film is, in a way, kind of dismantling and destroying the old idea and rebuilding it in a new way that’s fresh. Everyone’s got a slightly new take on their characters, so in that way, it feels like [this is] the first Thor.”

Interestingly enough, on the heels of the Thor: The Dark World, many fans sounded as though they wanted a more serious take on the franchise — one that didn’t come across as super goofy. Waititi seems to be taken the opposite approach, and while it may feel counterintuitive, it’s possible that leaning into that goofiness may be the best way to get what we really want out of the character.

What do you think of all these plot details? Are you looking forward to Thor: Ragnarok? Let us know in the comments down below!

Thor: Ragnarok hits theaters on November 3, 2017.

Don’t forget to share this post on your Facebook wall and with your Twitter followers! Just hit the buttons on the top of this page.

SOURCE: EW