Mark Ruffalo Compares ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ To ‘Midnight Run,’ Which Is Really All You Need To Hear
The first twoThormovies have their moments, but they’re among the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s more forgettable chapters. They never reach the heights ofThe AvengersorCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, but they never tumble to the dismal lows ofIron Man 2. They’re just kind ofthere, a great showcase for a handful of weird ideas andChris Hemsworth’s always entertaining lead, but not too much more.
Everything we’ve heard aboutThor: Ragnaroksuggests thatMarvel Studiosis trying to make the third solo adventure of the Odinson something special. First and foremost, it’s no longer a solo moviebut a team-up adventurewith Bruce Banner, a.k.a. the Hulk. And puny Banner himself,Mark Ruffalo, says the sequel a road movie in the vein ofMidnight Run.
Ruffalo, fresh off an Oscar nomination for his work inSpotlight, spoke withEmpireand mentioned one of the great road trip movies of all time while chatting aboutThor: Ragnarok:
There’s a little bit ofMidnight Run, with [Charles] Grodin and [Robert] De Niro… I feel like that’s kind of where we’re heading with this relationship between Thor and Banner… It is a universal road movie – that’s where we’re heading… It’s not where you’d think it will be, so it’s not your classic road movie but it has that structure, I think.
Midnight Runis, of course, Martin Brest’s 1988 crime comedy about a bounty hunter (Robert De Niro, back when him starring in a comedy wasn’t instant bad news) transporting a Mafia accountant across the country, with mayhem all of kinds ensuing around them. IfThor: Ragnarokfollows a similar template, with Thor and the Hulk traveling across the nine realms and getting into all kinds of mischief, we may be in for a big treat.
Plus, these two alreadyhave a pretty contentious relationship, so watching them work out their issues on a “universal” road trip should be a ton of fun. The last time we saw these two inAvengers: Age of Ultron, the Hulk was heartbroken and sending himself into exile while Thor was leaving Earth to deal with an apocalyptic crisis in Asgard. These two really could use a boost right now. Ruffalo isvery well awareof this duo’s dynamic, telling Empire:
I love Chris [Hemsworth], and it’s not an accident that we’ve been put together because we have a good time together and we goof off. The fact that we’re moving towards the smart-comedic bent plays into our relationship.
This sounds like everything the Soul Forge operator ordered. Hemsworth has talked aboutwanting more humorin the nextThormovie andthe hiring of directorTaiki Waititi, director ofthe incredible and incredibly hilariousWhat We Do in the Shadows, suggests that Marvel wants the exact same thing. At this point, the impeccableCate Blanchettjoining the castfeels like a nice bonus attached to an already strong package instead of “Oh My Odin Carol Is Going To Be In A Marvel Movie!”
