The Importance of Thor
In the history of the MCU, it is somewhat forgotten how important the first Thor film was. At that point, Iron Man has been released to overwhelming fan support. The Incredible Hulk followed but was not as well received. With Thor next in line, it was extremely important for it to land. Future plans for the Avengers made it so. With that in mind, casting was extremely important. Recently, Director Kenneth Branagh discussed with Collider the angst that went in to casting of the film.
I’ll never forget the moment that we cast those two boys [Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston]. It was like a sort of meditation or a sort of incantation… Kevin Feige must’ve walked around this long oval table a hundred times on that Saturday morning as I kept sort of saying, ‘I think we should call them.’ ‘Are you sure?’ ‘Yeah, I think we should call them.’… and I knew how profoundly serious that decision was. Kevin said, ‘We’ll never make a more important decision in this company than what’s happening in this room, Saturday morning at 10:30, when you pick up the phone to Chris Hemsworth and then Tom Hiddleston. It’s either going to work or it’s not. Good luck.
Why Branagh didn’t helm Thor 2
Needless to say Hemsworth and Hiddleston knocked it out of the park. The film and their characters laid the groundwork for the Avengers and the films that followed. However, it was assumed by many fans that Branagh would naturally helm the 2nd Thor film. He explained why that didn’t transpire but his hopes for the future.
… When the first one was finished, essentially it had been three fantastic years of my life, but I needed to recharge on something else. I was too close to the glass on that one, so I would definitely never say never again because it changed my life and changed my career and I’m profoundly grateful for it. I wasn’t ready to go straight into another one, but I like the idea of… I’d love to be planning something that was a three-parter in movie terms. That hasn’t come along yet but maybe it will.
History will record that the 2nd Thor film, The Dark World, is essentially thought of as one of the lower tier entries in the MCU catalogue. Who knows what might have happened if Branagh had helmed it. Perhaps nothing. However, that book is closed. Thor has moved into bigger and brighter things with Ragnarok and the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder.
Would you have liked to have seen Kenneth Branagh helm Thor 2? Would you like to see him direct a future MCU film, whether it be Thor or something else? Share your opinions on the possibilities with us at GeekVibesNation.
Source: Collider
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Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
