Stellan Skarsgard Won't Be In Thor: Ragnarok, Could Return For Avengers Infinity
There won't be a doctor in the house...
Stellan Skarsgard might have been one of the most abused characters in the MCU - after being mind-controlled, stripped naked and edited out in that order - but he seems surprisingly willing to keep coming back for more.
In an interview with Den Of Geek, the actor admits that he had no idea that the MCU would be so successful and that he initially signed a long term deal with the studio. He also says he won't be back for Thor Ragnarok:
"Thor 3is not on my slate. Err but maybe the next Avengers. I have a five-film deal with them, and they still have one option. But I like working with them, and there are some really brilliant people Kevin Feige is fantastic, and Joss Whedon"
So he might come back for InfinityWar Part One - or whatever it ends up being called - or he may not be back at all. It's down to Marvel to take up that final option.
Skarsgard was also asked about being largely cut out of Age Of Ultron, and admitted that the initial plan wasn't for him to appear at all. Perhaps that's why he seems to be dropped in out of absolutely nowhere:
"...I wasnt supposed to be in it to begin with, and then suddenly they called me saying weve got some scenes here, can you come and do them? But they were cut down, yeah
No, its really difficult stuff, to do those. Because you have a story with maybe ten leading characters that you have to follow and put together, and no one is better than Joss to do that. Hes remarkable. But it is difficult of course."
At least he doesn't sound too bitter about it. There should still be some space in the MCUfor a scientist of his specific skill set, but with the Thor threequel seemingly ignoring him, it's hard not to suspect that that's him done.