Even Elizabeth Banks has noticed the similarities between her version of Rita Repulsa and Cate Blanchett as the main villain in Thor: Ragnarok, Hela. Ragnarok was first announced during by Marvel back in 2014, but fans didn’t really know what to expect from the film then. After director Taika Waititi came onboard and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk was confirmed for the film, Ragnarok began to look more and more like a 1980s action/adventure fantasy comedy than it did an apocalyptic superhero epic - and only seems to garner more attention, with each passing announcement/reveal.

In the list of reasons to be excited about Thor: Ragnarok, Cate Blanchett’s villainous Hela sits right near the top of it. Playing the literal Goddess of Death, Blanchett is generally recognized as one of the most talented actresses of her (or any) generation - and based on the Thor: Ragnarok teaser trailer, she looks to be one of the most powerful and dangerous villains that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ever seen. That’s only fitting, of course, for an actress of her talent and pedigree.

However, in addition to the overall excitement surrounding her role in the film, some fans couldn’t help but notice how similar the design of Blanchett’s Hela was to Elizabeth Banks’ Rita Repulsa, from this year’s Power Rangers reboot. In fact, it looks like fans weren’t the only ones to notice the resemblance either, with Banks recently taking to Twitter to joke about the similarities between the pair of villains:

Bish stole my look #thorragnarok #loveyoucate pic.twitter.com/ZX4lQ4U4B4— Elizabeth Banks (@ElizabethBanks) April 10, 2017

When all is said and done, this is likely nothing more than a coincidence, since the films are coming out within such close proximity to each other. Unlike Hela too, who despite being somewhat different from her comics design, still looks recognizable to fans, Rita’s rebooted look in the new Power Rangers film could not have been more different from the original Power Rangers series’ version of the character.

Banks’ reptilian, twisted Green Ranger look as Rita was met with split reactions from longtime fans of the franchise, between those who liked the new take, and those who wished the reboot had stuck a little closer to the original design (though Banks’ performance in the film has generally earned her positive marks). Considering Blanchett’s talent onscreen, though, and just how powerful of a character Hela is in the Marvel comics and Ragnarok, it will be interesting to see where she ends up ranking in the pantheon of MCU antagonists/villains. After years of the MCU being criticized for having lackluster villains, Hela may be the one to finally start turning the tide in favor of the bad guys.

Source: Elizabeth Banks

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