SPOILER ALERT: This article features very minor (non-plot) spoilers about Thor: Ragnarok and the character Korg. Proceed with caution.
Meet Korg.
He’s the hulking warrior that joins Thor and company in the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok. And according to some who have already seen the Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, he’s quite the scene-stealing fan favorite. He was introduced on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last week and appears in new promos for the movie.
Korg is Kronan, a race of giant humanoids whose bodies are made of stone instead of flesh. Kronans aren’t new to the MCU or Thor franchise; a Kronan warrior was part of the Marauders in Thor: The Dark World, and quickly smashed by an uppercut from the God of Thunder.
In Ragnarok, Korg and Thor meet on the planet of Sakaar, where they are both entered in the Grandmaster’s Contest of Champions. The arena content pits powerful beings from many races against each other in gladiator-style combat. Other entrants include Thor and The Hulk.
Korg joins Thor in battling Hela after she invades Asgard. He possesses superhuman strength and durability.
Korg’s Background
Korg is a completely CG character. He’s voiced by Ragnarok’s director Taika Waititi.
“We wanted to change the idea of what a hulking guy made of rocks could be,” Waititi said during a Marvel press event. “He’s huge and heavy, but with a light soul. We wanted to make him funny and a relatable entry point into this world. And Thor needs friends.”
Waititi elaborated on Korg during San Diego Comic Con, explaining why the eight-foot giant speaks softly. Apparently, the New Zealand-born director based Korg’s voice on Polynesian bouncers who had soft and delicate voices.
Back in August, Waititi showed off his motion-capture suit in a birthday post for Chris Hemsworth aka Thor himself.
Happy Birthday @chrishemsworth! Thank you for being so cool to me and such a supportive friend. So rare to find a connection like ours. Xo pic.twitter.com/rqnQVNXvUa
— Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) August 11, 2017
Fans of the comic series will recognize Korg from the Planet Hulk and World War Hulk story arcs. He’ll make plenty of new fans when Thor: Ragnarok hits theaters on October 24 in the U.K. and November 3 in the U.S.
