Marvel Studios has finally made one of the highlights of their San Diego Comic-Con 2016 presentation available online: the funny Team Thor short starring Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo in character as Thor and Hulk, respectively, and explaining their absence from the most recent blockbuster film in the MCU.
Fans wondering why two of the most powerful members of the Avengers were nowhere to be seen nor heard in Captain America: Civil War had their questions answered in a hilarious mockumentary by Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi. Entitled While You Were Fighting: A Thor Mockumentary, or simply Team Thor, the short video showed what Thor Odinson and Bruce Banner were up to while Tony Stark and Steve Rogers went up against each other with their superpowered teams.
The simple explanation was that both Thor and the Hulk were off on their own adventures after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, at the end of which Thor returned home to Asgard while the Hulk flew off in a Quinjet. However, Waititi reveals that the god of thunder was actually just having some “me time” while living in Australia with an “average” roommate who occasionally helps him send “electronic letters” to Steve and Tony. Watch:
Those who saw Waititi’s What We Do In The Shadows probably felt the same vibe in the mockumentary, which bodes well for his upcoming film Thor: Ragnarok. Expect to see more of Hemsworth’s comedic timing, as well as his onscreen interactions with Ruffalo, in the third Thor film as welcome contrasts to its heavier and darker theme.
On a relatively more serious note, the short also provides more hints about what’s to come for the Norse god and the rest of Marvel’s superheroes as its Cinematic Universe wades deeper into Phase Three. It shows Thor’s whiteboard plotting his detective work in regard to the Infinity Stones and “the purple man in the floating chair” collecting them, indicating that he’d be actively investigating this in the sequel, and that perhaps Thanos will be more personally involved in its events.
Team Thor will be one of the bonus features included in next month’s Blu-Ray and DVD edition of Captain America: Civil War, along with an in-depth look at Black Panther, as well as several deleted scenes, such as Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) signing on for Team Cap and Bucky/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) wielding Cap’s shield.
With the release of this previously exclusive clip from SDCC ’16, expect to see the Spider-Man: Homecoming and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 footage also made available online by the studio soon.
