Pop Culture Callbacks In ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ You May Have Missed

Movie Pilot
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Published in
2 min readNov 17, 2017

Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok has so many great moments sprinkled in, it’s easy to miss some of the subtle nods in the film. While it contains many comic book references, plenty of scenes give a shout out to unrelated past films. Here are a few pop-cuture references you may have missed.

1. The Grandmaster Copies Willy Wonka’s Grand Tour

Shortly after Thor is captured on the garbage planet of Sakaar, Valkyrie hands him over to the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). This villain enjoys giving prisoners a tour of his home planet on a moving chair that’s very similar to the boat ride Willy Wonka takes his guests on while touring the Chocolate Factory. You can even hear the tune of “Pure Imagination” playing in the background.

2. Shady Acres Retirement Home Goes Back To Ace Ventura

The name “Shady Acres” has been a Hollywood Easter Egg ever since its first appearance in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. In that movie, it referred to a mental health facility, named after director Tom Shadyac. “Shady Acres” has since become a running joke in other films. In Ragnarok, we learn that Loki placed Odin inside a retirement home named Shady Acres. The building has since been demolished, as Thor and Loki continue to search for their father.

3. The Vortex From ‘Flash Gordon’

Director Taika Waititi made it known that Flash Gordon’s visuals and storytelling inspired him to bring Thor: Ragnarok to life. There’s one particular scene that stands out.

When Thor’s “Revengers” hijack the Grandmaster’s personal ship, they must make a getaway run through a wormhole. Nicknamed “the Devils Anus,” our heroes quickly pass out as the intense speed and gravity sucks the energy out of them. This scene is very similar to one in Flash Gordon when the travelers make their way through a vortex:

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