Well this is interesting. WhileCate Blanchettis currently enjoying a mountain of accolades and praise for her tremendous performance inCarol, it appears the actress is still keen to play in the world of blockbuster filmmaking—with Marvel, no less. PerVariety, the Oscar-winner is in early talks to join the cast ofThor: Ragnarokplaying one of the film’s new female lead roles.
While Variety’s report has no details on Blanchett’s character,Birth.Movies.Death.reported in October that Marvel plans to introduce the superheroine Valykrie in this film, so that’s certainly a possibility. Moreover, that same report noted that the reasonWhat We Do in the ShadowshelmerTaika Waititiwas tasked with directingThor: Ragnarokwas to hopefully bring some levity to an otherwise grim storyline/script and keep the movie’s tone in line with the Marvel brand, so while theThorfilms haven’t exactly been top tier Marvel, the studio could be doing something special with this third entry.
Of course things can certainly change before cameras roll next summer, and Blanchett’s deal is far from done. In fact, Marvel recently brought inStephany Folsomto do a polish on the screenplay, which was originally penned byThor: The Dark WorldscribesChristopher YostandCraig Kyle. So it’s possible the story is being reworked even further.
Regardless, signing Blanchett would be ahugedeal for Marvel. They’ve gotten more ambitious with their casting as of late, nabbingRobert RedfordforCaptain America: The Winter Soldierand performers likeTilda SwintonandChiwetel Ejioforare poised to make their Marvel debuts in the near future. So while this is certainly a bit of a surprising fit for an actress of Blanchett’s caliber (yes she was inLord of the Rings, but those films had a critically acclaimed director at the helm), it’s no doubt an exciting prospect. She’s not leaving the realm of prestige dramasentirelybehind, however, as she’s also in talks to star inRichard Linklater’s next filmWhere’d You Go Bernadette?.
Thor: Ragnarokwill also starMark Ruffaloand is slated for release on June 29, 2025.
