Director What We Do in The Shadows was absolutely brilliant, packed with enough intelligence and wit that audiences hardly noticed the absurd amount of gore.

Early rumors and speculation have armed audiences with plenty of talking points, from the implied Planet Hulk connections to the mysterious motivations of powerful new players in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There's still a lot of time before Thor and Hulk start smashing stuff together, but here's the scoop on every character we expect to see in 2017's Thor: Ragnarok - along with some very liberal analysis of the details we've received thus far.

Hulk

the latest insider scoop says otherwise!

With Banner banished to parts unknown, there’s a lot of speculation as to when and how he’ll run into Thor for their precious little time on planet Earth. After the casting of the Grandmaster (Goldblum) and some sneaky insights from sources close to the movie, we're buying into the idea that these Bash Brothers will end up forging an alliance deep in the pits of an intergalactic arena. Best of all, Ruffalo promised that fans will be getting the Hulk action they deserve in Ragnarok:

Ruffalo: “I think it’ll be smashing. You’ll see a lot more Hulk in this one.”

Ruffalo: “The Hulk gets Hulk-ier. The Hulk Hulks out. Hulk-ier and bigger.”

The Not-So-Jolly Green Giant is BACK, BABY!  Fingers crossed we'll be seeing him cracking skulls in some sweet gladiatorial armor come 2017.

Thor

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) was swirling rumors suggest that Thor will fall to the film's new villainess, Hela, losing the iconic Mjolnir (and some of those luscious locks) along the way. Driven from his home realm, Thor will reportedly find himself fighting alongside Hulk in a series of intergalactic gladiatorial games run by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). These same sources have hinted that Thor's primary goal throughout the film will be to locate an ancient and powerful artifact capable of hitting the reset button on the impending apocalypse, but they haven't specified what that item may be.

Here's an interesting thought: if Thor is in fact searching for a mighty weapon/artifact to stop Ragnarok and reset the universe, it's possible that early speculations have been off course this whole time. Maybe the MCU's on-screen adaptation will tweak the legendary Odinsword from Matt Fraction's Fear Itself arc, as this sword's true name is actually revealed to be "Ragnarok." Could this be the weapon that Thor needs to defeat Hela and her undead army? Is it possible that audiences will witness the transition of the Odin Force from father to son, unleashing an incredibly powerful version of Thor into the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Worst case scenario, Marvel studio heads could always just throw the whole 'kill Thor, revive Thor for Infinity War' thing onscreen, too. A tad predictable though, wouldn't you agree?

Loki

his trickster brother either way.

Ragnarok isn't expected to introduce the Mad Titan Thanos on the back burner..

Heimdall

Heimdall (Idris Elba), Guardian of the Bifröst and the Nine Realms, is set to Ragnarok. He's been relatively inactive for much of Thor's first two films, but may become one of the most important figures in Asgard's war against Hela; the Ragnarok comics force him to the front lines of battle, showcasing his legendary power as he holds the Rainbow Bridge against insurmountable odds.

We're fans of a if Hela does kill Heimdall, she could theoretically take possession of whichever stone he's been guarding. It's unclear who Hela is actually working for/with during the events of Ragnarok, but this sequence of events could (conceivably) deliver yet another stone to Thanos -- or to the Grandmaster, and then to Thanos. Just food for thought.

Odin

If Loki is sitting on the Asgardian throne masquerading as Odin (Anthony Hopkins), where is the real Odin? Rumors suggest that while Odin isn't actually dead, he 1) has been ousted from his position of power by Loki and 2) will appear as a crazy Doomsday bum on Earth in Thor: Ragnarok. While the film is reported to spend precious little time on Midgard, it will be interesting to see how Hopkins' role pans out -- if he retains fragments of his former self, he may be able to warn Thor of Loki's betrayal and the coming apocalypse. Having Hopkins appear in a weird cameo-type role doesn't make much sense (unless he's not interested in the role anymore), so if the whispers of his fate prove true, he'll probably wind up getting back to All Father status over the course of the film.

Using the comic story arcs for guidance, Ragnarok could be a transitional film in more than one way. It's possible that Odin may perish during the epic battle, ing his power (the Odin Force) to Thor and exiting stage left. It would be a tragic ending to such a great character, but we know that not every Asgardian will escape Ragnarok unscathed. There's an infinite number of possibilities here, but we'll keep you posted as things become clearer.

Valkyrie

Since one we once had in mind for her) because she was the best fit. She’s a talented actor, and she won the job. All good? Good.

We’ve Portman won’t be ing the rest of the cast this time around – it’s possible that she’ll be simultaneously filling the roles of ‘love interest’ and ‘bad-ass warrior woman’ next November. And believe us, she is a total badass.

It’s fair to speculate that Valkyrie may be gearing up to transition into the role of the now-female Thor, especially since it appears Portman (and her character, Jane Foster) is all but done with the MCU. The odds of that transition will depend on Thompson's popularity in the role of Valkyrie, but hey, Thor’s gotta the hammer sometime, right?

Hela

The Mjolnir, so it will likely take a concerted effort (and some outside help) to defeat her.

Whether Loki and Hela work together willingly to destroy Asgard (or if they're even related) is yet to be seen, especially since the former is currently sitting the throne. If early rumors prove correct, her arrival in Ragnarok could have much larger implications for the entire MCU; Thanos' obsession with Lady Death is well documented, and who better to play the object of his desire than two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett?

Skurge

Possibly the biggest question mark of the cast so far, Karl Urban will bring Skurge -- the double-edged axe-wielding supervillain -- to life in Ragnarok. Since Skurge has spent time as both an adversary and ally of the Asgardian gods, it's unclear which side he'll choose in the coming war. Urban has mentioned the warrior's "great arc" in the comics motivated him to jump into the MCU headlong, and since there seems to be an abundance of baddies set for the film already (see: Hela, Loki, and the next entry on our list), it's possible that Ragnarok will bring some of that arc to the big screen.

Here's a little peek at what Urban and Marvel will have to work with for Ragnarok: in comic canon, Skurge is the illegitimate son of a Frost Giant and an Asgardian. He becomes known as one of Asgard's fiercest warriors, but for years his heart and mind is twisted by Amora the Enchantress. Though often aiding Loki in his plots to conquer Asgard (even serving as his lieutenant), Skurge eventually s Thor to battle Surtur and the legions of Hel, sacrificing himself to protect the nine realms.

The Grandmaster

Nope, we lied -- Jeff Goldblum as The Grandmaster is definitely the king question mark in the Ragnarok plot. It's not just that we don't know what he'll do in the movie, it's that no one knows what the Grandmaster is going to do, ever. That's the thing with ancient, eccentric, intergalactic alien dudes - they tend to be a bit unpredictable. Infinity Gauntlet saga, so it's possible that Ragnarok will bridge the gap between these two cosmic entities.

Insider sources suggest that the Grandmaster is responsible for punching Hulk's ticket to Asgard, dropping him into some type of awesome, intergalactic gladiator arena. Will he facilitate Loki and Hela's rise to power, pitting god against god in the ultimate tournament? Does the Grandmaster possess one of the few remaining Infinity Stones? Will Jeff Goldblum wear that unbelievable outfit for the entire movie?

SO MANY QUESTIONS.

Lady Sif and the Warriors Three

Although this fan-favorite quartet has been noticeably absent from media coverage for Ragnarok, it's been all but confirmed that they will play a role in the movie. Jaimie Alexander (Sif), Zachary Levi (Fandral), Ray Stevenson (Volstagg), and Tadanobu Asano (Hogun), respectively, are Thor's closest friends and most trusted battlefield allies. Audiences probably their Comic-Con-esque jaunt through the streets in the first Thor movie or one of their epic battle sequences from Thor: The Dark World. 

If Ragnarok plans on pulling heavily from the comic story lines, the four amigos might not be in for the most joyful ride. While we can't imagine that Marvel will try to stuff the entire annihilation of Asgard into this movie, it makes sense that at least one of these characters will perish in the stand against the forces of Loki/Hela/Skurge, or whoever else decides to  the fray. Fingers crossed it won't be Sif -- she's got spin-off potential written all over her.