4. Characters: Diving Deeper
The first film's director Kenneth Branaugh brought a decidedly Shakespearian character aesthetic to the first Thor film. This served to ground a fantastical story about mythical gods and wars across the cosmos in a very human context. The characters were the heart of the story, especially the familial triangle of Thor, Loki, and Odin. Outside of battles, we didnt get a huge amount of Thor/Loki interaction in The Avengers (understandably so). Not to mention that poor Jane Foster got shipped off to a S.H.I.E.L.D. Secure Location in the course of just a few lines of that film. Now, though, our focus is returned to Thor and his friends as well as enemies, and Dark World should give plenty of opportunity to explore and develop those dynamics. In particular, the relationship between Thor and Loki will be undergoing serious changes, as Thor, who is truly desperate will be forced to work with his brother in a partnership that looks to be anything but brotherly. As that relationship, and its dissolution, was core to both Thor and The Avengers, it will be exciting to see where it goes next.