Marvel Studios: Thor: The Dark World

Thor: The Dark World, also stylized as Thor 2, is an American superhero film, based on the character of the same name in the comics by Stan Lee, featuring Thor, The God of Thunder, as the main protagonist of the film, portrayed by Chris Hemsworth.

The main cast was set to return from the original film, with the exception of Josh Dallas, due to time constraints in his filming schedules. Zachary Levi is set to portray his character, Fandral. The films is set as the sequel to the film Thor, as part of the series, and The Avengers, from the chronological point of view in the Marvel Cinematics Universe.

Plot
Eons ago, Bor, father of Odin, vanquished the Dark Elves led by Malekith, who sought to return the universe to its state before creation using a force called the Aether. Fighting off Malekith's enhanced warriors, the Kursed, Bor contains the Aether within a stone column. Unbeknownst to him, Malekith, his lieutenant Algrim and others escape into suspended animation.

In the present, in Asgard, Loki stands before Odin in shackles and is sentenced to imprisonment, while Thor, alongside warriors Fandral, Volstagg and Sif repel invaders from Vanaheim, home of their comrade Hogun; it is the final battle in a two-year war to make peace in the Nine Realms.

In London, astrophysicist Jane Foster, who has not seen Thor in that time, attempts a lunch date with a man named Richard but is interrupted by her intern Darcy Lewis. She takes Foster to an abandoned factory where the laws of physics are upended in spots and objects disappear into thin air. Foster, after bringing her own scientific equipment to the factory, is sucked into a vortex where the Aether enters her.

The Asgardians learn a rare alignment of the Nine Realms is imminent, and at spots where the Realms touch, as at the factory, portals are created. When Heimdall tells Thor that Foster is no longer on Earth, Thor begins a search for her there. She has awakened in the factory after hours in the other realm, and finds herself releasing powerful energy when a police officer on the scene touches her. Sensing the force's unearthly nature, Thor brings Foster to Asgard, but its physicians cannot remove it.

Odin realizes she is the Aether's vessel and this heralds a catastrophic prophecy. Frigga—Odin's wife, Thor's mother and Loki's adoptive mother—takes Foster under her wing. In holographic form, Frigga visits Loki in his cell to convey her love and disappointment.

Malekith and his forces, awakened by the Aether's release, turn Algrim into a Kursed and attack Asgard. Malekith and Algrim kill Frigga while searching for Foster, and are attacked by Thor, forcing their retreat. Thor is ordered to remain and protect Asgard rather than pursue revenge. Following Frigga's funeral, Thor decides to take Foster from Asgard to lead Malekith away. He reluctantly teams with Loki, who knows a secret portal to Malekith's world. With Volstagg and Sif guarding his flank, the two commandeer a Dark Elf spaceship and escape with Foster.

On Earth, Lewis learns that her colleague Dr. Erik Selvig has apparently gone mad and has been institutionalized after attempting to conduct scientific experiments at Stonehenge while naked. She has Selvig released from a hospital's mental ward with the help of her own intern, Ian. Thor, Loki and Foster confront Malekith and Algrim on Svartalfheim, where, after a hoax in which Loki appears to betray Thor, Loki sacrifices himself to keep Malekith from retrieving the Aether.

It is to no avail, as Algrim batters Thor and Malekith takes the Aether from Foster. Thor and Foster return to Earth after stumbling upon a portal between realms. The battle shifts to London, where Malekith, in a towering space-vessel, will use the Aether at the exact moment and place of the Nine Realms' convergence to destroy the universe and restore the dark-energy state in which the Dark Elves thrive.

As Thor battles Malekith, Foster and Selvig use devices they have constructed to shift energy where the Nine Realms meet. At the last moment, they transport Malekith and his ship back to Svartalfheim, where the crumbling ship crushes him.

In Asgard, Thor declines Odin's offer to take the throne and tells Odin of Loki's sacrifice. As Thor leaves, the image of Odin reverts to the true form of shapeshifter Loki, who, disguised earlier as a warrior, has usurped the throne.

Mid-Credit Scene
In the mid-credit scene, Volstagg and Sif meet with "The Collector" and give him the Aether, an Infinity Stone. As to his queries over why they did not keep it in Asgard, they say the Tesseract, another stone, cannot be kept near it as it will be dangerous. After they leave, he comments "one down, five to go" further proving he is collecting the Infinity gems from the comics as there are also six main gems in the comics.

End Credit Scene
Jane and Thor meet again.

Cast

 * Chris Hemsworth as Thor:


 * Natalie Portman as Jane Foster:


 * Tom Hiddleston as Loki:


 * Anthony Hopkins as Odin:


 * Stellan Skarsgard as Dr. Erik Selvig:


 * Idris Elba as Heimdall:


 * Christopher Eccleston as Malekith:


 * Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis:


 * Ray Stevenson as Volstagg:


 * Zachary Levi as Fandral:


 * Tadanobu Asano as Hogun:


 * Jaimie Alexander as Sif:

Development
In April 2011 before the release of Thor (2011), Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige stated that following The Avengers (2012), "Thor will go off into a new adventure." Kenneth Branagh, director of Thor, responded to his comments, saying, "It is kind of news to me. Here's what I would say to that: It's that I'm thrilled they're that confident. I shall wait for the audience to tell us whether there should be a second one, and then if that's a nice conversation to be had among all of us, that'd be thrilling. But I've got too much Irish superstitious blood in me to assume that Thor 2 will happen.

But if Marvel says so, then I guess it must be true". Feige later explained that Marvel Studios would gauge how well Thor did at the box office before announcing sequels, but stated, "Don Payne is working on story ideas for a part two. We've got various options with Ken Branagh to discuss coming back, but right now the focus is on the first one. Don is, slowly but surely, thinking about where to take the character next should we be so lucky".

In June 2011, Walt Disney Studios set a July 26, 2013 release date for the Thor sequel with Chris Hemsworth reprising his role as the title hero. It was also reported that Branagh would not be returning as director but would likely be involved in a producing capacity.

The Los Angeles Times cited the long commitment necessary for a special effects-heavy epic and the pressure to start the script process right away as reasons for Branagh's departure, although he was initially enthused by the chance to direct the sequel. The following day, Marvel formally hired Payne, one of the credited writers of the first film, to script the sequel.

In August 2011, Brian Kirk entered early negotiations to direct the Thor sequel for Marvel Studios and Disney. The film would be Kirk's first time directing a big-budget motion picture, after having directed television series for HBO, Showtime and the BBC, including Game of Thrones. Idris Elba, who portrayed Heimdall in the first film, stated that he had plans for the sequel.

In September 2011, Tom Hiddleston confirmed he would return in the sequel, speculating that in the film, "Loki will have to take responsibility for what he’s done". Patty Jenkins, the director of Monster and the pilot episode of AMC's The Killing, entered early negotiations with Marvel Studios and Disney to direct the film, after Kirk had passed due to contractual sticking points that arose during negotiations.

The same month, Feige stated the sequel would "take Thor literally to other worlds" and would "primarily be the journey of that character, of he and Jane Foster and how the new dynamic with his father is working out, as well as what are the broader stakes for The Nine Worlds".

In October 2011, Joshua Dallas, who portrayed Fandral, stated he planned to return to Asgard in the sequel. On October 13, 2011, Disney moved the release date for the film to November 15, 2013. The same day Marvel confirmed that Jenkins would direct the sequel and Natalie Portman would return to star.

Pre-Production
In December 2011, Jenkins exited the project, citing "creative differences".[67] She stated, "I have had a great time working at Marvel. We parted on very good terms, and I look forward to working with them again."[68] Three days later, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Marvel was looking at Alan Taylor and Daniel Minahan as prospective directors to replace Jenkins. THR also reported that Marvel was in the midst of hiring a writer to rewrite Don Payne's script and the shortlist of possible writers consists of John Collee, Robert Rodat, and Roger Avary.[69] At the end of the month, Alan Taylor, best known for directing episodes of the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, was chosen to direct the sequel.[70] Feige mentioned Taylor's work on the series Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones as reasons for his hiring, saying "With Alan's direction we got a few more layers of patina, of texture, of reality into our golden realm."[13]

By January 10, Marvel Studios had commissioned screenwriter Robert Rodat to rewrite the sequel and Hiddleston stated that filming was expected to begin in London in the summer of 2012.[71][72] Hemsworth later confirmed that filming was scheduled to begin in August.[73][74] Hemsworth also revealed that the film would have a more Viking-influenced feel, elaborating "I think the science fiction element to Thor … the danger is it falls a little bit into the world of it's 'tough to throw a light to.' I think of big waterfalls and mountains and a Viking influence, where the Norse mythology kind of grew from. Having that in Asgard is going to make it all the more special and that's what Alan [Taylor] wants to bring to it." Feige said "while the relationship between Loki and Thor certainly has changed [after the events of the movie The Avengers] and has progressed, a lot of Thor 2 is picking up where it left off in terms of Jane, who you just saw for a moment on a computer monitor, and also what's been going on in the nine realms without the Asgardians being able to use the Bifrost." Feige also said that while Loki has a part, "there will be a different villain, another big villain".

In May 2012, Mads Mikkelsen began talks to play one of the villains in the film and Anthony Hopkins, who played Odin in the first film, committed to returning in the sequel. At the end of the month, Disney moved up the release date for the film a week ahead of the previous date to November 8, 2013.

By June 2012, much of the first film's supporting cast was confirmed to return, including Idris Elba, Jaimie Alexander, Ray Stevenson and Stellan Skarsgård. Also in June, Joshua Dallas announced that he would not be reprising the role of Fandral. Dallas had initially intended to return, but had to bow out due to his commitment on the television show, Once Upon a Time, and Zachary Levi was cast in his place. Levi was originally up for the role in the first film but scheduling conflicts with Chuck forced him to drop out.

In July 2012, Mikkelsen stated he would not be appearing in the sequel due to prior commitments, "That's not happening unfortunately. I had a meeting with [the filmmakers], but it was a bit too late and then Hannibal came in...It's just not happening". At the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con International, it was announced that the film would be titled Thor: The Dark World. At the end of the month, residents near Bourne Wood in Surrey, England were notified that a film going by the working title, Thursday Mourning would be filming in the area.

In August of that year, Christopher Eccleston entered final negotiations to play Malekith the Accursed, and the film was scheduled to shoot in Iceland, where Taylor shot parts of Game of Thrones. By August 22, Kat Dennings was hired to reprise her role as Darcy Lewis and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje was cast as Algrim. At the end of the month, film crews for Thursday Mourning began set construction at Stonehenge near Amesbury, England.

Music
The movie's score was composed by Brian Tyler.

Sequel
Thor will be seen again in the next film of the Marvel Cinematics Universe, which is The Avengers: Age of Ultron. After Age of Ultron, Thor will reappear in Thor: Ragnarok.

Trivia

 * There are no current notes available on this topic, as of the moment.