Tessa Thompson Dishes On What Sets Thor Apart From The MCU

Tessa Thompson plays the hard-drinking and fearsome fighter Valkyrie within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Making her first appearance in "Thor: Ragnarok," the character acts as a scavenger that has earned the favor of Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) and the ire of his second-in-command Topaz (Rachel House), who often suggests melting individuals for the slightest infraction. "Thor: Ragnarok" is directed by Taika Waititi with his characteristic aplomb for colorful visuals and irreverent and dry humor.

Valkyrie is a former member of an elite group of all-female warriors who have been charged with the defense of Asgard, but her history reveals a tragic occurrence that happens when the aforementioned group goes up against Hela (Cate Blanchett), the erstwhile Goddess of Death. Despite this brutal affair, "Thor: Ragnarok" offered a different take on the MCU, and the heavy-hitting plot elements are often sprinkled through a movie that is predominately known for its humor. However, it seems as if Thompson has an explanation of what makes both "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Thor: Love and Thunder" so much more different than other movies in Marvel's retinue.

While appearing on "Hot Ones" and consuming increasingly spicy wings, Tessa Thompson was asked what it was like to work with Taika Watiti, considering his reputation for having a childlike sense of wonder. "I think that's a big part of it," she said. "Also, when we made 'Thor: Ragnarok,' the whole idea was to basically destroy every 'Thor' movie that had come before. Not in terms of success, just to like, bash all of the tropes and the tone, and make something that's entirely different."

She continued, "This next installment has been interesting because it's trying to sort of recapture the magic, but I think it's being able to hold a lot of different tonal pockets all at once." She then asked a rhetorical question that wondered if a movie can be silly and irreverent, while at the same time being heartfelt. Thompson then added that a lot of music was played on set, and that tends to help focus the cast and crew of "Thor: Love and Thunder."

With these comments in mind, it seems the mechanism that makes these new "Thor" movies slightly different from their predecessors is Watiti's general demeanor, and his ability to balance several different tones at once. Not only that, but when the mission statement of the director is to deconstruct all of the "Thor" movies that came before, the films by their very nature are unique. Either way, both "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Thor: Love and Thunder" offer slightly different fare from other Marvel properties, much to the delight of "Thor" and Watiti fans alike.