If there’s one thing that has comic book fans beside themselves with excitement for Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok, it’s the promise of Planet Hulk.
Greg Pak’s super-stylish series first hit store shelves back in 2006, when the sun-scorched plains of Sakaar captured the imagination of Marvel fans the world over. But given the Powers That Be have ostensibly ruled out the possibility of a solo Hulk movie existing within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many believed that the Planet Hulk storyline would remain exclusive to the world of comic books. Enter Taika Waititi.
Fresh off his celebrated work across What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt For the Wilderpeople, Waititi is another example of Marvel Studios swinging their doors open to a niche director, and handing them the keys to a bona fide blockbuster. With Ragnarok, Taika Waititi is placing his own stamp on the God of Thunder’s third solo adventure, and the New Zealander has spoken in the past about what it was like to integrate elements of the beloved Planet Hulk story into Thor: Ragnarok. And now, thanks to FilmCellsLtd (via CBM), today brings forth a boatload of artwork, along with one pint-sized toy inspired by Miek.
Pretty neat, huh? The merchandise line includes the usual assortment of goodies – high-res prints, 2018 calendars…you name it – while the pint-sized version of Miek provides a better look at Thor’s unlikely ally. Originally introduced as a fighter aboard Sakaar, it’ll be interesting to see how much screen time has been reserved for the cutesy alien.
When quizzed about the cult character, Waititi revealed that:
He’s sort of like an insectoid. He sort of has a cool exoskeleton with knife hands. He’s basically sort of a larva shaped thing. He controls the exoskeleton with these controls and stuff. He’s way more graceful than Korg. Much more efficient and Miek does not talk.
Capping off Marvel’s lineup for 2017, Thor: Ragnarok will be with us on November 3rd.