Marvel’s upcoming “Thor”; sequel has just cast its big bad, with two-time Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett tapped to play a “powerful new villain” named Hela.
In comic book lore, Hela is Asgard’s goddess of death, which gives a pretty good indication of what Chris Hemsworth’s hammer-wielding hero will be facing in his latest big-screen outing.
News of Blanchett’s casting, notes NME, comes only a few days after “Iron Man 3″ screenwriter Shane Black’s revelation that he was asked by the studio to downsize the part of a female villain in that movie, given a “no-holds-barred memo”; insisting the film’s main villain can’t be a woman because “that toy won’t sell as well if it’s a female.”;
Related: Tom Hiddleston On Rumours He’s Done With Loki: “Don’t Believe Everything You Read’
Also joining the cast of Thor: Ragnarok is Jeff Goldblum in the role of “eccentric”; Grandmaster, “an ancient and supernatural character with mysterious powers.”;
Other new cast members include Tessa Thompson (“Creed”;) as Valkyrie and Karl Urban (“Star Trek”;) as Skurge, while original stars Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Anthony Hopkins (Odin) will also be back, while Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner (and, by extension, the incredible Hulk) will also feature.
Related: Chris Hemsworth Cuddles Kittens, Talks “Thor’, Surfing & More With Vanity Fair
“Thor: Ragnarok”; is slated to be released on November 3, 2017. Until then, check out this behind-the-scenes look at 2013’s “Thor: The Dark World”;.
