Thor: The Dark World

Did You Know?

• Eons ago, Bor—the father of Odin—waged war against the Dark Elf Malekith, who sought to unleash a weapon known as the Aether on the Nine Realms.
• The world premiere of Thor: The Dark World took place on October 22, 2013, at the Odeon Leicester Square in London.
• Brian Tyler described the score as 'science fiction meeting classic medieval war', drawing from works such as Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings.

Cast

Chris Hemsworth portrayed Thor, an Avenger and the crown prince of Asgard. Hemsworth noted that the film addresses unresolved issues from previous films, including Thor's relationship with Jane and his conflict with Loki. He said the story picks up from where the first film left off, with Thor about to take the throne and coming to terms with the responsibilities and secrets of kingship. Hemsworth enjoyed breaking down the character to find his human qualities and vulnerable side. Natalie Portman played Jane Foster, an astrophysicist and Thor's love interest who is brought to Asgard after being infected with a mysterious energy. Producer Kevin Feige remarked that Jane is a fish out of water in Asgard, unlike Thor's earlier experiences on Earth. Portman described the role as a different adventure, with Jane having moved to London and trying to move on from Thor's absence. Hemsworth's wife Elsa Pataky stood in for Portman during the post-credits kissing scene due to a scheduling conflict.

Production

In April 2011, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige stated that after The Avengers, Thor would go on a new adventure. Kenneth Branagh, director of the first Thor film, initially expressed interest but later withdrew from directing the sequel due to the quick turnaround required. Marvel hired Don Payne to write the script. An early version of the film planned to feature Hela as the antagonist. Alan Taylor was hired as director in January 2012. The supporting cast was filled out in August 2012 with the hiring of Christopher Eccleston and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as villains. Filming took place from September to December 2012 in Surrey, England, as well as in Iceland and London. Taylor aimed for a more grounded tone than the first film, inspired by his work on Game of Thrones. He hired Carter Burwell to compose the score, but Marvel replaced Burwell with Brian Tyler.

Marketing

In March 2013, Marvel announced a two-issue comic book prelude released in June 2013. The first trailer for the film was released in April 2013. Forbes noted the trailer fit into Marvel's brand marketing, featuring recognizable characters and Loki's popular appearance. The Los Angeles Times observed director Alan Taylor's influence from Game of Thrones in the battle sequences and a grittier Asgard. At the July 2013 San Diego Comic-Con, Tom Hiddleston introduced footage in character as Loki. Gameloft announced a mobile video game to be released in conjunction with the film. The theatrical poster, released in early August 2013, was criticized by Business Insider for lacking originality and resembling an Iron Man 3 poster. A second trailer was released during YouTube's Geek Week; Forbes called it an extended version of the teaser, while the Los Angeles Times noted its ominous, epic scale. Additional footage was presented at Disney's D23 Expo by Kevin Feige, Hiddleston, Portman, and Anthony Hopkins.

Reception

Thor: The Dark World earned $206.4 million in North America and $438.4 million in other markets for a worldwide total of $644.8 million. It surpassed its predecessor's gross after 19 days. Deadline Hollywood calculated a net profit of $139.4 million. The film made $7.1 million in Thursday night showings, more than double the midnight gross of the first film. It opened at No. 1 with $85.7 million over its first weekend, a 30% increase over its predecessor, and was the largest November opening for a Disney film at the time. It topped the North American box office for two weekends. Internationally, it earned $8.2 million on its midweek opening day and $109.4 million over five days, finishing first in all 36 countries. Its largest markets were China, the United Kingdom, and France. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an approval rating with a consensus that it offers humor and high-stakes action but is not the finest MCU film. It was the lowest-rated MCU film on that site until Eternals. Metacritic assigned a score of 54 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews. CinemaScore audiences gave it an A−.