15 Best Sci-Fi Movie Sequels EVER

Thor proved a hard act for any director to follow—which is no shock, when the 2011 original benefited from not only a stream of stellar turns from stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and the always charming supporting player Kat Dennings, but also from its secret weapon, Shakespearean helmer and childhood Thor acolyte Kenneth Brannagh.

When the Hamlet helmer admitted that his interest in the Bard was sparked by a childhood spent reading Thor’s faux-medieval comic dialogue, it was clear he was perfect for the job. But how could this second sequel hope to follow that class act?

Well, cult What We Do in the Shadows director/ recent Oscar winner Taika Waititi wasn’t a bad start. The irreverent, campy tone of Waititi’s ambitious work was a flawless fit for Thor, resulting in one of the MCU’s funniest outings and a rare good-natured, largely angst-free flick (let’s ignore that mid-credit Snap for now) from the increasingly self-serious series.