Latest ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Trailer Adds Dr. Strange, Removes Arena

The international trailer, released overseas to promote Thor: Ragnarok contains not only some shocking new revelations but a distinct shift in emphasis for Marvel’s superhero buddy/road flick and surefire fall blockbuster.

The latest promo clip reveals that Benedict Cumberbatch‘s Doctor Strange makes an appearance – obviously repaying the favor of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) showing up in Doctor Strange‘s post-credits sequence last fall.

But Doc’s appearance here seems meatier, with Cumberbatch’s basso profundo voice bearing an ominous warning for the God of Thunder about his new destiny. Doc is not generally known for fortune-telling parlor tricks, so the change he senses in Odinson’s future much be pretty significant.

Look! A ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Synopsis at Last!

Disney has finally released a synopsis for Thor: Ragnarok that at least hints at how the movie will tie together the dangling plot threads from Thor: The Dark World, the “Planet Hulk” comic book story and the “Twilight of the Gods” tale from Norse mythology — not to mention a guest appearance by Doctor Strange, the villainous plotting of Hela, queen of the underworld, and, of course, Loki.

Fans have known for some time that these story elements would be involved on the third Thor solo (or “solo”) movie, but not how. Check this out to see if it helps:

In Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok, Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok — the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization — at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger — the Incredible Hulk!

Official Peek at ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’

Marvel Studios have decided to put us out of our misery make it even tougher to wait until next summer with a passel of intriguing photos from Avengers: Age of Ultron that reveal the true look of the mean machine and his henchbots for the first time — as well as show off the redesigned costumes of the returning heroes.

Bruce Banner and Tony Stark

Wardrobe

Joss Whedon directs Elizabeth Olsen

Hawkeye

Avengers disassembled

Black Widow

Captain America and Thor

Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch

Chris Hemsworth Praises Joss and ‘Avengers’ Sequel Script

The mighty Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth, told the Wizard World Sacramento (Calif.) Comic Con over the weekend that he’s ready to pick up the hammer for his fourth sortie as the Norse god of thunder in Avengers: Age of Ultron — which will be truly massive in scope thanks to writer/director Joss Whedon.

“I’m really excited to start Avengers 2 in two months and get back on set. We’re going to meet in London and shoot there for four months, so I’m excited to get back together with everyone and catch up.

“Everything is ramped up. It kind of blew me away, reading [it]. I don’t know how Joss does it, but everyone has gone up another notch, and the whole thing is bigger and more exciting and crazier. Yeah, he’s a genius.”

Avengers: Age of Ultron is slated to open May 1, 2015.

Deleted Scene: Thor Fights While Loki Sneers

Here is a brief fight sequence that was deleted from the theatrical version of Thor: The Dark World. In it, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) battles some Asgardian guards to escape the palace with a captive Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Clearly, the scene was left unfinished, as the “heroic” sound effects have not been added.

Thor: The Dark World is out on DVD/Blu-ray and whatever other technology is out there…

S.H.I.E.L.D. Will Do a Crossover With New Thor Movie

Attention, fans of MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.! Get thee to a cinema forthwith to view Thor: The Dark World, which opens today — because the Nov. 19 episode of AoS is going to pick up on plot threads left over from the movie.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the AoS episode, called “The Well,” most likely will not feature any Thor cast members (barring a surprise cameo), but rather some “connective tissue” in the storyline.

Check out the official synopsis from ABC:

“In the aftermath of the events chronicled in the feature film Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World, Coulson and the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. pick up the pieces – one of which threatens to destroy a member of the team.”

Putting this together with what we’ve all seen in the various trailers, it looks like there will be lots of Asgardian/Elf technology expended in all the fighting, so Agent Phil Coulson’s team most likely comes across something dangerous in some wreckage while cleaning up after the battle.

With a lot of the film’s action set in Greenwich, England, it seems like a natural setup for a crossover with TORCHWOOD, doesn’t it? If only that reconstituted UK team was still in action, that is…

The Cabin in the Woods (2012) — No Spoilers

The best — and smartest — horror movie in a dozen years, The Cabin in the Woods, is released on Blu-ray and DVD today, and if you missed your chance to see it during its truncated theatrical run earlier this year, rectify that mistake and watch it now.

The brainchild of co-writers Joss Whedon (who also wrote and directed this summer’s megablockbuster, The Avengers) and Cloverfield scribe Drew Goddard (who also directed this masterpiece), Cabin has all the cultural savvy, whip-smart dialogue and razor-sharp meta references one expects from veterans of TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It’s scary, funny and thought-provoking — all while being wildly entertaining.

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

It’s not hard to figure out why Snow White and the Huntsman — released on DVD and Blu-ray today — disappointed at the box office earlier this year: It’s a disappointing movie, because it could have been so much more. Whatever it was, it was not the feminist reimagining of the fairy tale that the studio marketing promised.

You should realize your grrrl power movie is in trouble when the biggest change to the well-trod Brothers Grimm story is elevating the male huntsman from a bit player to a leading role. Snow White’s importance still stems from her beauty more than her ability to lug around a sword and her handy knowledge of the castle sewer system. True, she is not as passive as character in the Disney version (no housework for this riot grrrl!), but she still needs rescuing by a strong man — and she’s not exactly a compelling, sympathetic heroine one can easily root for, preferring a sneer to a smile.

Saving Face for Hollywood Superheroes

What does this new photo from Marvel’s upcoming summer blockbuster The Avengers tell us about Hollywood suits and what they think of audiences? It reveals that studio suits are stupid — and they think you are, too!

In this scene, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain America (Chris Evans) are standing shoulder-to-shoulder, ready for battle. Only Cap isn’t quite ready… because he doesn’t have his mask — a mask that serves to both conceal his identity as protect his head in throes of combat. Both sensible precautions.