Your Guide to Thor: Ragnarok

Since the release of Iron Man in 2008, Marvel mania has swept the nation. Nine years on, with The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy under its belt, the film series is a huge franchise, with masks, fancy dress and even socks dedicated to the Marvel superheroes.

Now, with Thor: Ragnarok set to be released on October 27, fans have something else to get excited about – not least because there’s a whole host of new characters.
  

Get introduced to them with our ultimate guide to who’s who in the film…

Thor
The last time we saw Thor, he was jetting off into the cosmos to uncover the truth behind the mysterious Infinity Stones that appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Marvel are being tight-lipped about what’s next in store for the hero, but we do know he’s set to be imprisoned by the evil Hela – who plans to bring about the end of the world through ‘Ragnarok’. Not to mention, trailers and posters for Thor: Ragnarok show actor Chris Hemsworth without Thor's usual long blonde locks.

Loki
Thor’s mischievous brother was set to rule Asgard at the end of Thor: The Dark World, after usurping his father Odin. But filmmakers have hinted that Loki - played by fan favourite, Tom Hiddleston - is set to change his treacherous ways and team up with his brother to fight newcomer Hela.

Hela
In traditional Norse mythology, Hela is the daughter of Loki and rules over the dead in Hel and Niflheim. In Thor: Ragnarok, played by Cate Blanchett, she plots to unleash the end of the world upon Asgard – but can she be stopped?

The Hulk
The Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo, went missing at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, but he’s back in the newest Marvel film. In Thor: Ragnarok, the Hulk suffers memory loss and ends up as a gladiator on Sakaar, where he's fighting Thor – but will the pair team up with arch-nemesis Loki against Hela?
  

Dr Strange
We were introduced to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr Strange in his 2016 film, and if you waited until the end, you’ll have seen the end-of-credits scene that gives a nod to Thor: Ragnarok. In the scene, Thor goes to Dr Strange and asks him for his help in finding Odin.

We don’t know how much Cumberbatch is due to star in Ragnarok, but he’ll definitely be making an appearance.

The Grandmaster
One of the baddies of the film, Jeff Goldblum plays this long-time Marvel character who captures Thor as prisoner and pitches him against The Hulk in a gladiator-style battle.

Valkyrie and Skurge
Tessa Thompson stars as Valkyrie, whose role in the comics is to take fallen heroes to Valhalla. Since she traditionally deals with the dead, we’re hoping her character deviates from the comics in the new film!

Meanwhile, Karl Urban takes on the role of Skurge, also known as ‘The Executioner’ – although what his role will be in the film, we’re not yet sure.

Thor: Ragnarok hits UK cinemas on Tuesday 24th October... Make sure you kit your feet out in our The Incredible Hulk socks for the occasion!