Thor was initially introduced to the MCU as a Shakespearean God but after his first two solo adventures proved unpopular, director Taika Waititi came on board to take the thunderous Avenger in a new direction with Thor: Ragnarok. Chris Hemsworth's Asgardian has since shot to the top of the most beloved heroes, as many have more closely resonated with the comedic and unpredictable nature that he portrays across Ragnarok, Infinity War, Endgame, and Love and Thunder.
Just before Waititi came along to reinvent the God of Thunder, Hemsworth's Thor suffered the most horrific slip-up in his MCU history yet: The Dark World. The Alan Taylor-directed flick is regarded by many among the worst entries in the MCU thanks to its forgettable action, bland villain in Christopher Eccleston's Malekith, and awkward humor.
To this day, The Dark World continues to come up in the conversation for the worst MCU installment - as does Malekith when it comes to the worst villain debate. But it appears the fans aren't the only ones who were displeased by the second Thor film, as the leading man himself has shared his disappointment with his arc in the film.
Chris Hemsworth Explains How Ragnarok Improved Thor
During a recent retrospective of his career with Vanity Fair, Thor actor Chris Hemsworth explained why he was disappointed by Thor: The Dark Hold, and how he felt Taika Waiti's Ragnarok improved the MCU's God of Thunder.
Hemsworth described how he felt he was "a little disappointed in what [he'd] done" in The Dark World. But when Waititi took over for Ragnarok, the two mutually "decided not to be bored" of the character and "go in a different direction:"
"I wasn't stoked with what I'd done in Thor 2. I was a little disappointed in what I'd done. I didn't think I grew the character in any way, I didn't think I showed an audience something unexpected and different. And then when Ragnarok came along, out of my own frustration of what I had done, and this is not on any other director or anyone, this was my own performance. I really wanted to break the mold. And I said this to Taika and I think the conversation we had was, I said 'I'm really bored of Thor.' And he said, 'Yeah I'm really bored of Thor, too.' And then we decided not to be bored and any time that feeling came into play, we'd go in a different direction."
The Australian actor went on to explain how they "dismantled the character" for Ragnarok, and pushed to make him "a little more unpredictable:"
"And so we just dismantled the character, we wanted to have him be a little more unpredictable, we wanted him to be in a different set of circumstances than he'd been in before, and also have the humor come through. I had a great relationship with Taika, and we had a great sense of humor and banter with us. And I thought, let's make sure we cram that into this space. And the character he played of Korg then was there. So it was kind of a lot of him and I improvising, as our most truthful version of ourselves."
Did the MCU Take Thor the Right Way?
Many of those who enjoyed the MCU's Shakespearean take on the Asgardians from his early appearances have ended up being less interested in Waititi's newfound comedic direction. And yet, it could be argued the more recent direction is more consistent with where the character should be after losing almost everyone he loves, suffering a crushing defeat, and unlocking new godly abilities.
With regard to Hemsworth's comments on Thor: The Dark World, it's certainly interesting to hear the MCU star was just as displeased with his sequel as the fans. As a whole, The Dark World did little to progress Thor as a character, while also proving to be among the blandest and forgettable adventures in the MCU.
As Hemsworth's Thor becomes the first hero to lead four solo outings while Waititi also becomes the first director to tackle the God of Thunder twice in a solo capacity, who knows where the Asgardian will go in Love and Thunder after Avengers: Endgame.
The first three Thor films are streaming now on Disney+; Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters on July 8.
