When a well-respected actor or actress signs on to do a superhero movie, there’s a tendency to wonder if their time could be better spent doing more independent films. When it was announced that Cate Blanchett would be joining Thor: Ragnarok, for example, some people were confused. Blanchett has been nominated for major awards for her work in movies like Carol and Blue Jasmine; is playing the Goddess of Death in a Marvel movie really the best use of her time?

Sometimes, though, you just wanna do a superhero movie. Sure, Blanchett is a dramatic titan, but she’s also signed on for movies as diverse as The Lord of the Rings and Ocean’s Eight; this more playful side of the actress was fully on display when Blanchett spoke to Entertainment Weekly yesterday about her role in Thor: Ragnarok.

The whole thing was just a riot and fantastic fun. Did you see Taika Waititi’s film, Hunt for the Wilderpeople? Or, What We Do in the Shadows? He’s just got such a sure hand. He’s wonderful — I’d eat him for breakfast if I could. He’s absolutely delicious. And he’s irreverent which is great because Marvel, at its best, has its tongue firmly in its cheek.

This is the other side to Marvel’s recruitment process. While a lot of commentary focuses on why Marvel’s method of bringing in up-and-coming director to maintain a consistent tone and visual style between films, new and exciting filmmakers are also likely to keep actors enthusiastic for a project that might not have otherwise been on their radar. I doubt that the presence of Taika Waititi as director was the main factor that convinced Blanchett to sign on as a Marvel villain, but based on how she speaks about his body of work, it would seem to be one more small factor in his favor. I, for one, cannot wait to see how the talents of Waititi, Blanchett, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe all play out on the screen.

Thor Ragnarok will hit theaters on November 3, 2017.

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