There's a lot to be excited about when it comes to Thor: Ragnarok, but one of the most frequently praised aspects of the film is its amazing cast. A part of this cast is Tessa Thompson, who joins the MCU as the warrior, Valkyrie. According to Thompson, she wanted to create her own "iconography" for the character. Part of the reason this was important, according to director Taika Waititi, is that he isn't thrilled with how female characters have been described in recent years. For some reason, they're all "badass." According to Taika Waititi,
There's one word I hate in all scripts in Hollywood at the moment in describing women, and that is the word "badass." That word has just crept into every script that is pushed around this town now. It's terrible, because it doesn't mean anything. It's a dumb male writer's way of saying, 'Ah, uh, she's like, she, uh, she's tough.' Then straight after that it's like, 'She's badass, but she's got a beauty about her. And she's sexy. Unconsciously sexy.
Taika Waititi is not a fan of how male writers chose to describe female characters in their screenplays. The director emphatically told the Los Angeles Times that it's the one word that he really dislikes reading in scripts, especially when it's followed by the word "sexy." It doesn't really have any impact or emotional weight. It doesn't allow women to be complex or anything but tough and strong. Basically, it isn't his favorite.
It's been a long running trend in Hollywood that "strong female characters" basically translates to "badass, but also sexy." That trend has at least started to make a turn, in part thanks to efforts from big franchises like the MCU, the DCEU, and Star Wars. Marvel Studios' upcoming Captain Marvel is written by female writers (Meg LeFauve, Nicole Perlman, and Geneva Robertson-Dworet), and the new Star Wars trilogy is led by a three-dimensional woman. And there is, of course, Wonder Woman, despite what James Cameron may think.
Thor: Ragnarok is set to continue the adventures of Chris Hemsworth's Thor. The newest installment in the Thor series abandons the halls of Asgard in favor of a colorful, Jack Kirby-inspired romp through the depths of space, as Thor and Hulk seek to stop the villainous Hela from destroying all of Asgard. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, and Karl Urban.
Thor: Ragnarok hits theaters on November 3, 2017. To learn more about the film, here's everything we know so far.
