The Story Behind the Thor: Ragnarok Trailer Laugh Line Is Even Better Than the Joke

The first trailer for Thor: Ragnarok had an exuberant tone all its own among Marvel movies, due in no small part to the fun ’80s sci-fi feel the whole movie is going for, but it turns out that it had a bit of outside help, too.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly (video above) Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth, explained the origin of the line, “He’s a friend from work,” spoken when the Hulk is first unleashed on him gladiator-style. Though Director Taika Waititi has previously said that he fostered improvisation and an experimental atmosphere on the set, this line came from somewhere extra special: a fan.

As Hemsworth told it, “We had a young kid, a Make-A-Wish kid on set that day. He goes, ‘You know, you should say, ‘He’s a friend from work!'” And so, the big laugh line of the first trailer was born—one that helped propel it to Disney’s most-watched trailer in its first day, which is a pretty amazing feat within a company that owns most Marvel movies and Star Wars.

I was already excited about this movie, and then this story gave me a whole new reason to appreciate what Waititi and the cast are doing with it. It’s hard not to feel good reading about anything that Make-A-Wish makes possible for a child, but it’s hard to even imagine how thrilled he must have been with this unexpected twist. Bonus: It would now be accurate for the kid can shout his own line every single time he sees Hemsworth from now on.

(via The Nerdy Bird, image: Marvel Entertainment)

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