SAN DIEGO: Thor has lost his invincible hammer and Black Panther shoulders the responsibility of being a new king, in exclusive scenes shown from Disney’s Marvel studios’ upcoming superhero movies at San Diego’s Comic-Con.
One of the most high-profile draws of the annual convention for pop and nerd culture fans, Marvel’s star-studded panel session on Saturday kicked off with “Thor: Ragnarok,” due in theaters in November.
Director Taika Waititi joined stars Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston and Cate Blanchett to discuss how the Norse icon has evolved in the film, specifically as he has lost his power-wielding hammer, is trapped on a planet named Sakaar and has to fight in a gladiator contest with the Hulk.
“I’ve played this character five times now ... I got a bit bored with myself and wanted to make something different,” Hemsworth said.
Comedy weaves through a trailer that shows Thor meeting the Hulk and filling him in on his status, saying “I’m doing my own thing now, I’m not really hanging out with the Avengers anymore, it all got very corporate.”
As supervillain Hela (Blanchett) takes over Thor’s home planet of Asgard, he must recruit the help of the superheroes, including his mischievous brother Loki, to stop Hela and prevent Ragnarok — the end of the world.
Avid fans, many of whom lined up overnight to get into the 6,500-seat Hall H, gave a rousing standing ovation for the first footage from 2018’s “Black Panther,” in which Chadwick Boseman plays T’Challa, the new king of fictional African nation Wakanda, who is also a deadly superhero.
“T’Challa is someone who got his power from the people around him and his history,” director Ryan Coogler said. “History is something very important to me, my family and African culture.” Scenes showed T’Challa, joined by his spy Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and warrior Okoyo (Danai Gurira), in slick, explosive fight scenes with a villain named Ulysses (Andy Serkis,) as well as T’Challa’s ambitious brother Erik (Michael B. Jordan).
Marvel announced that its upcoming female superhero standalone film “Captain Marvel” starring Brie Larson will take place in the 1990s, before the events of 2008’s “Iron Man” that set Marvel’s subsequent film franchise in motion. The villains will be the alien shapeshifters called the Skrulls.
It also revealed new additions to its 2018 “Ant-Man and the Wasp” film, including Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne and Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Bill Foster.
Marvel brings hammerless Thor, new king Black Panther for Comic-Con
Marvel brings hammerless Thor, new king Black Panther for Comic-Con
6 planets will parade across the night sky at the end of February
NEW YORK: Six planets are linking up in the sky at the end of February, and most will be visible to the naked eye.
It’s what’s known as a planetary parade, which happens when multiple planets appear to line up in the sky at once. The planets aren’t in a straight line, but are close together on one side of the sun.
Skygazers can usually spot two or three planets after sunset, according to NASA. Hangouts of four or five that can be glimpsed with the naked eye are less common and occur every few years. Last year featured lineups of six and all seven planets.
When will they be visible?
On Saturday, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye if clear skies allow. Uranus and Neptune can only be spotted with binoculars and telescopes.
What time is optimal for viewing?
Go outside about an hour after sunset and venture away from tall buildings and trees that will block the view. Look to the western sky and spot Mercury, Venus and Saturn close to the horizon. Jupiter will be higher up, along with Uranus and Neptune.
How to know if you’ve spied a member of the parade?
“If it’s twinkling, it’s a star. If it is not twinkling, it’s a planet,” said planetary scientist Sara Mazrouei with Humber Polytechnic in Canada.
The parade should be visible over the weekend and in the days after. Eventually, Mercury will bow out and dip below the horizon.
At least one bright planet is visible on most nights, according to NASA.
Glimpsing many in the sky at once is a fun way to connect with astronomers of centuries’ past, said planetary scientist Emily Elizondo with Michigan State University.
Ancient astronomers used to make sense of the universe “just by looking up at the stars and the planets,” Elizondo said, “which is something that we can do today.”
