The Improvised Thor: Ragnarok Scene Taika Waititi Instantly Loved

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for being a well-oiled machine, with plot points and crossovers planned out years in advance. So the "Thor" franchise was in for a shake-up when Taika Waititi, a filmmaker known for coaxing clever, improvisation-heavy comedy from his actors, joined the MCU to direct "Thor: Ragnarok." The result of this unlikely union is one of the Marvel franchise's most entertaining movies to date.

Several of the hit 2017 film's best scenes were improvised, including a fan favorite moment between Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and his brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston). After sharing a serious moment of introspection in an elevator, Thor says, "Hey, let's do 'Get Help.'" Loki insists that he doesn't want to, because "it's humiliating." "It's great, it works every time!" Thor insists.

At this point, first-time viewers have no idea what they're talking about, but their banter feels genuine, like that of two real brothers getting under each others' skin. "We are not doing 'Get Help,'" Loki says confidently after some back-and-forth. Then the camera cuts to a shot of Thor carrying an apparently grievously injured Loki out of the elevator while dramatic music plays. He calls for help, saying his brother is dying, and when the goons they're trying to get past are distracted, he hurls Loki at them like a bowling ball. It's a quick but hilarious moment, one that works because everything from the brotherly bickering to the comedic smash cut perfectly leads up to it.

Insider reports that Waititi gave full credit for the scene to Hemsworth. According to Insider, the director spoke with the "Empire" podcast and said, "I'm very lucky to have someone around who's very invested in the emotionality of the scenes, but wants to have fun." On IMDb's What To Watch, Hiddleston says that Waititi gave the two actors a bare-bones framework for the scene, suggesting that the pair could come up with an idea for a game their characters played as kids. From there, Hiddleston says the director let the actors "completely improvise."

While this is one scene that exemplifies the improvisational spirit of "Thor: Ragnarok," it's certainly not the only bit of the movie that was made up on the spot. In April 2020, Waititi and some guest stars giggled their way through a commentary rewatch of "Thor: Ragnarok" on Instagram Live (per CBR). Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo, in particular, seemed to have a blast talking about how far off script the shoot ended up. "I kept waiting for them to come and fire us," he joked, before outright asking Waititi, "Did anybody say anything about the fact we didn't shoot anything from the script?" Whatever Waititi's doing, it worked very well for "Thor: Ragnarok," and has us eager to see "Thor: Love and Thunder" when it premieres in 2022.