More From Ray Stevenson On THOR: THE DARK WORLD
Explaining a possible disconnect between the cast, Ray Stevenson talks about his Thor: The Dark World role as the charter member of the Warriors Three and state of Asgard in the Marvel sequel.
"In the first “Thor,” Asgard had this tremendous peace among the 9 realms," he said. "They were riding at the heights. Everything is working and looking as it should be. In this one, the realms are being whipped up into various rebellions. There is a darker malignant force out there and we are in the process of engaging in long protracted skirmishes and battles. The luster and shine of the city has been taken off and it all leads to a huge assault, an attack at the heart of Asgard," Stevenson reassured, adding that, "It could be completely wiped out, the stakes are a lot higher."
Regarding what to expect of Volstagg the Voluminous this time around, Stevenson said, "He’s great on a battlefield. He is one of the warriors three and doing what they do, their time is spent fighting on many different fronts. They’re not always fighting together. Volstagg is struggling, he has a brood, they are fighting for hearth and home as much as for the idea of Asgard itself. That’s where he has trouble," Ray said. "He’s all too aware of how potentially threatening this new enemy is on both the home front and the battlefield." About Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder, Ray said, "Now is the time [for him] to rise up and assume of the mantle of king."
Whether there was a disconnect between the Marvel sequel's cast, Ray Stevenson admitted, "When we were shooting the original, we were real close. There was collectiveness amongst cast and crew. We spend more time together. In the second one, because the nature of the plot itself, the people involved were displaced and fractured. I saw Stellan [Skarsgard] one day before shooting and I never saw him again." Whether that "disconnect" will effect how Thor: The Dark World plays out, he said, "This is what’s going on now and this is the way things are working. I was tremendously part of this and I’m thrilled about it but I haven’t seen the film so I don’t know."
Marvel Studios’ “Thor: The Dark World” continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel’s “Thor” and “Marvel’s The Avengers,” Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos…but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano and Jaimie Alexander with Rene Russo & Anthony Hopkins as Odin, “Thor: The Dark World” is directed by Alan Taylor, produced by Kevin Feige, from a story by Don Payne and screenplay by Christopher Yost and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely and is based on Marvel’s classic Super Hero Thor, who first appeared in the comic book “Journey into Mystery” #83 in August, 1962. “Thor: The Dark World” is presented by Marvel Studios. The executive producers are Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Victoria Alonso, Craig Kyle and Nigel Gostelow. The film releases November 8, 2013, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios.