Tag: Thor

“The Avengers” will fill the sky with Marvel icons – that is, if the summer’s most crowded film doesn’t remain earthbound under the great weight of its teeming ensemble. That challenge is why Joss Whedon was brought in as the director and screenwriter. He’s a true savant when it comes to snappy dialogue and scenes that become sly symphonies of angst, bravado, love, lust, doubt and deceit. With all of that in mind, we asked Whedon to talk about the major characters and what each brings to the group dynamic. Today: Thor. There’s a scene in “Thor” in which the title hero, played by Chris Hemsworth, is working the crowd in the majestic hall of Asgard’s royal family. As a disdainful Odin looks on, his cocky son grins, struts and swaggers like a vainglorious varsity quarterback in some sort of celestial homecoming parade. You won’t be ...

The news is grim — a team member has gone down, the worst is feared — and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans) exchange pensive looks while, all around them, the agents of a super-spy agency called S.H.I.E.L.D. tend to their duties as an off-planet enemy force threatens the entire planet. The scene, being filmed on an elevated set, was watched from a safe — and ironic — distance by Joss Whedon. “You know, you shouldn’t worry too much,” the director and co-writer of “The Avengers” reassured a visitor to the New Mexico set. “This kind of stuff happens here almost every day in the Marvel universe.” It does feel sometimes like Hollywood has become a digital factory dedicated to cosmic dangers, costumed heroes and CG magic but “The Avengers” is a special case even in this summer ...

This week, the Marvel Universe reaches a new plateau with the Hollywood red-carpet premiere of “The Avengers,” which unites the title characters from four film franchises — Thor, Captain America, Iron Man and the Hulk –  to save Earth from a cosmic threat. The only person who had a hand in creating all of those characters was the late Jack Kirby, a titan figure in comics, but his heirs weren’t invited to the premiere;  their presence would be awkward considering their legal quest to reclaim the rights to hundreds of his Marvel creations. That leaves Neal Kirby, Jack’s only son, on the outside looking in but in this guest essay he writes about the days when the Marvel Universe was as close as his family basement.   In 1961, I was the luckiest damn kid on my block — or maybe any block. My father worked at home. ...

A new trailer for “The Avengers” is out, revealing more explosions, high-flying villains and a call-to-arms for Marvel’s wonder-team of superheroes. “The Avengers,” directed by “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” creator Joss Whedon, assembles Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the Hulk (each of whom found some measure of success with his own summer blockbuster in recent years) and adds a few more comics pages stars — Black Widow, Hawkeye and Nick Fury — who have made appearances in Marvel films but have yet to enjoy headlining their own big-screen adaptations. The new trailer begins with an “Inception”-like bass drone and views of a devastated city being fire-bombed as Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) delivers a dramatic voice-over: “War has started. And we are hopelessly outgunned.” Then, one by one, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) ...

“Thor” star Chris Hemsworth is sad to see director Kenneth Branagh leave Asgard, but he said the filmmaker’s rumored replacement, Patty Jenkins, is up to the cosmic task she would inherit. “She has a great take on the story and a solid grasp on that kind of universe,” the Aussie actor said Wednesday on the set of “Snow White and the Huntsman” in eastern Wales. Hemsworth, who plays the Huntsman in the ambitious fantasy film, was filming horseback scenes on a beach for a battle sequence against Ravenna, played by Charlize Theron — who just happened to win an Oscar in the Jenkins-directed 2003 film “Monster.” Jenkins (who also directed the acclaimed pilot episode of AMC’s “The Killing” )  isn’t completely locked in for the Marvel Studios sequel but has confirmed that she is in advanced talks to pick up where Branagh left off. The first “Thor” film ...

“Thor” director Kenneth Branagh is walking away from Asgard, and no one is sadder than star Chris Hemsworth. “I’m really disappointed,” Hemsworth said of Branagh’s decision to pass on “Thor 2,” which is aiming for a July 2013 release and may begin filming next May. “Ken built that character, and everything I know about the Thor world I learned while shoulder-to-shoulder with Ken. I learned so much from him.” By all reports, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige invited Branagh back to follow up his success of “Thor,” the May 6 release that has grossed $447 million in worldwide box office. The 50-year-old filmmaker seemed energized by the prospects of a sequel too, both in private and in public. In the end, though, the marathon devotion required for a major visual-effects epic and the urgency to get the script process underway were the ...

If you’re one of the lucky 120,000 mortals who will cross the rainbow bridge to enter the doors of Comic-Con International this year you’re going to want to bring home some treasures to prove you were there. Here’s one that you should pick up if you are worthy (and if you can spare $100 in Midgard money): “Walter Simonson’s The Mighty Thor Artist’s Edition” from IDW Publishing and Marvel. This is a pretty fantastic book that collects up seven issues from Simonson’s landmark 1980s run on Marvel’s thunder god — but instead of reprinting the familiar panels from the published issues this 12-inch-by-17-inch hardcover edition presents the stories as scans of the original black-and-white art. There are two versions of the 176-page edition, one with Beta-Ray Bill on the cover, which can be ordered for home delivery or pickup at Comic-Con, and a second variant version ...

As the summer ramps up with a slew of testosterone-fueled action hero flicks such as “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and “Cowboys & Aliens,” here’s a gallery of 18 women from the big screen who can do everything their male counterparts can, and often in heels and lipstick. – Noelene Clark twitter.com/noeleneclark RECENT AND RELATED: LaBeouf on Megan Fox’s absence (photos) Rough-edged LaBeouf says he’s ready to grow up LaBeouf: New “Transformers” is best 3-D film ever Bay wants you to forget last “Transformers” Bay: “There’s a lot of poison on the Internet … whatever” “Avatar” sequel will dive into the oceans of Pandora Bay talks about Shia LaBeouf’s dark moods Cameron: ‘Avatar’ is my most personal film Bay’s payday? $75 million … and counting

Don’t expect the Avengers to reassemble in Hall H at Comic-Con International in July. The official word from Marvel Studios is that their team will sit out the Hollywood previews in the 6,000-seat hall, where fans, bloggers and journalists from around the world come to see filmmakers and stars introduce and promote their upcoming spectacle movies. Last year, Marvel delivered a thunderclap moment by lining up the cast of “The Avengers” on stage — it was a surprise parade of stars that included Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans as well as director Joss Whedon. But with that movie now filming in New Mexico, the studio leaders decided that, as far as Hall H goes, it wasn’t prepared to compete with its own past and wild fan expectations. “Go big or stay home,” is how ...

In Thor: God of Thunder (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS), the player assumes the role of the titular Norse god-turned-Marvel superhero. Although the game features the likenesses and voices of Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Tom Hiddleston (Loki), it does not follow the film’s narrative. However, the saying “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme” proves itself true over and over in the world of comic books. So although the narrative is different, the game definitely will feel familiar. “The movie was about growth of character and asked, ‘Who is Thor?’” said Matt Powers, a senior producer at SEGA of America, who worked on the game. “That’s not the kind of game we wanted to make. We already know who Thor is. We wanted the player to explore more of the universe of Thor.” In the game, whose narrative was ...