Notable Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Tom
Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo, Jeff Goldblum, Idris Elba, Karl
Urban, Anthony Hopkins, Benedict Cumberbatch
Even within the now-rather-infamous Marvel Cinematic
Universe (MCU), the Thor series represents a fascinating part of it.
While Iron Man set the tone for the series, the initial run of films was
meant to represent various genres within the franchise. Sure, there was a
common thread of spectacle, humor, and just enough heart; the Thor
series felt so much more serious than the rest. For Thor’s first two films, the
Shakespearean tones that blended with the fantasy elements of gods and monsters
were initially met with mixed results from audiences and critics. While Thor
represented a key cornerstone of the MCU, the character’s adventures were the
weakest part of the initial ‘Avengers Initiative.’
However, during the ‘second phase,’ the MCU found a way to
get the more cosmic aspects of the Marvel world to resonate with audiences: by
making them funnier, brighter, and more entertaining. It worked for James
Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, so it could work for Thor, right?