Thor: Ragnarok is now in theaters, and based on the box office numbers, many fans cannot get enough of this delightful new take on the Thor mythos. In fact, CinemaBlend recently sat down with Ragnarok editor Zene Baker to ask him if he thinks the film could receive an extended cut when the home release rolls around. While he believes it's possible, he doesn't seem to think that Ragnarok really needs one because the theatrical cut embodies what Taika Waititi wanted to make. Baker explained:
I mean I wouldn't rule it out. It could happen. Honestly, I've never been a big fan of that, myself. It's weird. My perspective on that has changed before, like, when I was in film school and right after film school I was like, 'Oh man, I've got to have all of the extra material.' And then after doing a lot of these movies I'm like 'you know, this is the version they released? Awesome. Better off keeping it that way.' There's some movies where you're fascinated by the extra material, like real deep sci-fi movies, you're like 'oh I wonder what they left out.' But for this, it's just massively entertaining and it's built for entertainment. This is what they released and I don't know. It just works for me.
Given the sheer amount of improv and outrageously hilarious deleted scenes from Thor: Ragnarok, it makes sense to assume that an extended version of the film is possible. That said, Zene Baker thinks that the theatrical release of the movie serves its purpose just fine. Elsewhere in our conversation, he explained that one of Taika Waititi's goals with Thor: Ragnarok was to tell a lean story, so adding too much extra material to the film could ultimately go against that objective in the long run. As fun as that content is, it's not essential.
The discussion about the importance of extended cuts has become a long-running conversation among many movie fans. For example, with a film like the original Blade Runner, the sheer amount of different versions released over the years has caused a furious debate over the definitive cut of the film. This idea has subsequently bled into the realm of superhero films in recent years -- particularly with the release of Batman V Superman's "Ultimate Edition," which has become widely regarded by many fans as the superior cut. Amid all of that discussion, Baker thinks the better option is to keep a film streamlined and avoid bogging down the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe outing with all of that extra material.
Thor: Ragnarok is now in theaters. Make sure to check out the behemoth superhero blockbuster for yourself and check out CinemaBlend's 2017 movie premiere guide and 2018 movie premiere guide for more information on everything set to debut on the big screen over the course of the next year!
