Thor: Ragnarok - Taika Waititi Confirms Classic Planet Hulk Character Korg
Some directors give themselves the best roles...
We already know that Thor: Ragnarok owes as much to Planet Hulk as it does to the Thor: Ragnarok comic book arc, and it's probably fair to say that the Sakaar set scenes that will see Hulk and Thor throwing down in front of The Grandmaster's guests is one of the most anticipated upcoming MCU scenes by some distance.
Quite how much of Planet Hulk's other elements we'd get to see has thus far remained a mystery, but now it seems we know about at least one more of the comic book's characters appearing in the film.
In his usual fashion, Taika Waititi will be appearing in Ragnarok himself (he does it in every film, as well as appearing in Green Lantern), an he's playing Planet Hulk's Korg - the rock alien who bears considerable resemblance to The Thing. But he didn't initially plan on taking that part...
“Obviously, being made of rocks, we wanted somebody like The Rock to play him, but there wasn’t enough chicken or salmon in Australia to sustain he and Chris. I never thought I’d be playing the most lovable character in the film.”
All hilarious asides out of the way, we've seen Korg's race in the Thor franchise already - they're the race the God Of Thunder defeats in the opening to The Dark World - but Waititi's objective is to make his Kronan more "human":
“We wanted to change the idea of what a hulking guy made of rocks could be. He’s huge and heavy, but with a light soul. We wanted to make him funny and a relatable entry point into this world. And Thor needs friends.”
So, Rock Groot, then?
EW say that the scene they saw featuring Korg and Thor's first meeting paints the character as "both an ally and a fan favorite. Also forced to fight in the Grandmaster’s (Jeff Goldblum) gladiator duels, Korg reveals to his new friend why he’s a prisoner. “I tried to start a revolution, but I didn’t bring enough pamphlets,” he charmingly says."
Let's hope he's not killed off and can come back again. And maybe if his effects work is good, we might take another step forward towards a time when Marvel can make an actually good Fantastic Four movie with a worthy The Thing. Or at least loan him for a New Avengers movie or something?
The moment the pair meet has been captured in some stunning fan-art by the exceptionally talented George Evangelista...