With yesterday’s release of the second trailer for Thor: The Dark World, fans are almost certainly already picking the trailer apart frame by frame looking for more details about the film’s plot and characters. What struck us, however, was the remarkable devotion to expanding, not so much the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the on-screen mythology of Thor and his supporting cast. Here are three things that really caught our eye that should thrill comic book fans!
LOKI
The first thing that jumps out when watching this trailer is that the focus is not fully on Thor. In fact, it almost goes out of its way to tell the viewer that this is a Loki-driven movie. Loki, as played by Tom Hiddleston, is arguably the second most popular Marvel films character behind Tony Stark. In fact, one would have to believe that Loki could carry his own movie. Well, played trickster. Whatever the case, Loki takes full spotlight in the opening moments of this trailer.
The trailer establishes what may be the main conflict, the idea that Thor must work with Loki to fight a new, dark evil. Loki even points out he cannot be trusted, as audiences now get what drives this film. Part buddy film, part mythological epic, Thor: The Dark World promises a complex study of a sibling relationship during a major war with dark forces.
PLENTY OF ASGARD
Now seriously, take these shots of Asgard and show them to a comic fan from 1985. Their freaking head would explode seeing how Jack Kirby and Walt Simonson’s designs have come to life. Thor was always a comic full of big ideas, big action, and bombastic dialogue, all of which are present in the trailer.
The trailer hints, through a discussion between Thor and Heimdall, that Loki knows inside information about the coming threat. Some armored figure is shown ready to kick some ass, and I think it sure looks like Walt Simonson-era Dark Elf badass, Kurse. More Simonson is a very, very good thing. Viewers are even treated to Rene Russo as Frigga springing into action. Her character was a little flat in the previous film, so this is a welcome sight.
MALEKITH THE ACCURSED
Speaking of Walt Simonson, the next voiceover is presumably Christopher Eccleston’s Malekith the Accursed. There’s a great combination of sword-and-sandal action and Kirby-tech on display here. In other words, pure Thor. Not much is seen of Eccleston or Kurse, but the Dark Elves look pretty badass, a thoroughly original design that gives one the feeling of coldness and inhumanity.
As a bonus the trailer ends with a humorous little confrontation between Thor and a Stone Giant. Stone Giant, you say? Yes…and he sure does look a lot like the race of Stone Giants that Thor tackled in his first appearance way the heck back in Thor’s first appearance in 1962’s Journey into Mystery #83. If that doesn’t excite comic fans, I don’t know what to tell ya.
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