After having my phone, and any other electrical device capable of taking pictures of recording sound, taken from me and a quick search by a few burly security guards, I was finally able to take my seat in the first annual Kapow! Comic Con’s main event. Before stars Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston entered the room for a fan Q&A (a description of which will be posted in the next couple of days) we were presented with three brand new scenes from Thor. Director Kenneth Branagh has put together a superb film which feels totally fresh and exciting when compared to previous superhero movies and everything from the CGI and music is spot on. Here is a description for the longest scene:
-The first piece of footage, and the longest at roughly twenty minutes, started off with the scene where Odin banishes Thor to Earth. While we’ve already seen snippets of this in the first trailer, the entire scene is far more powerful and the exchange between the two sent shivers down my spine. Seeing Odin’s clearly hurt reaction to being called an, “Old man and a fool” by Thor and his subsequent rage as he strips him of his powers showed just how 100% perfect a casting choice Anthony Hopkins was for this role.
-Chris Hemsworth also nails the Asgardian (well, English) accent perfectly. I know there has been some doubt about this, but there is really nothing to worry about.
-Following this, we’re treated to a VERY impressive CGI sequence of Thor falling to Earth. The action quickly cuts to him being knocked over by Jane Foster and her team. (this is the scene which was released a few weeks ago by MTV) After the somewhat negative reaction she received from some fans, you may in fact be interested to know that the audience LOVED the comedic relief from Kat Dennings. From here, we see them load the unconscious God of Thunder into their van, followed by the hospital scene released online by Paramount and Marvel Studios yesterday.
-Oh, and while they’re driving away with Thor (before the chaos at the hospital which culminates in him receiving an injection in the ass) we see Mjolnir crash to Earth in the distance. While Thor escapes from hospital by loosening his restraints, Jane Foster and her team discuss the Asgardian legends while looking in a children’s book which features caricatures of Mjolnir and Loki. Jane Foster is intrigued by his story (along with Darcy’s discovery of a satellite image showing a silhouette of a man crashing to Earth) and decides to head back to the hospital to see him.
-This of course results in a very humorous scene of Foster once again knocking Thor over. Back at their offices, Jane gives Thor some clothes…along with a shirt with a sticker that reads, “Hello. My Name Is Donald Blake.” The explanation? It’s her ex. While all this is going on, both JMS and Stan Lee receive cameos related to Mjolnir’s landing on Earth. I won’t ruin either of these, but will say that Stan’s was very funny and resulted in one hell of a cheer from the room.
-Hemsworth’s swagger and attitude towards Jane is fantastic, and he nails the arrogant Thor in these scenes. The full version of the diner sequence we first caught a glimpse of in the most recent trailer is even funnier in its entirety. From here, we were shown the full version of Thor breaking into the S.H.I.E.L.D base. Again, his interaction with Jane (played marvellously by Natalie Portman) is great fun, and the fight sequences are choreographed very effectively and brutally. In fact, I’d say that this whole sequence was three times longer than the recently released clip.
-And then there was Hawkeye. As Thor is fighting his way through the base, Agent Coulson tells an agent that he needs them up high with a gun. We see this mysterious character start to reach for a rifle, only to change his mind and pick up one very cool looking bow. The scenes with Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye are spread out amongst those which see Thor taking on the other agents on the ground, but there is a good few seconds of Barton (as he’s referred to by Coulson) taking aim and getting ready to take the big guy down.
--Dressed in a black combat jacket (which possibly had the S.H.I.E.L.D logo on it) and what appeared to be a short goatee, Renner didn’t get enough screen time to show us what he’ll be like as Hawkeye in The Avengers, but the lines he did deliver were perfect. I’m also convinced that I caught a glimpse of him in some sort of small mask or glasses when he first chose the bow, but this went by so fast, I’m more than likely wrong. Either way, his cameo was a great tease and a nice way to introduce the character. I also found it somewhat interesting to hear him call Coulson, “Sir.”
-And with that, Thor desperately tries to pick up Mjolnir, only to fail and subsequently fall to his knees in the rain. Surrounded by armed agents, he is handcuffed and led away as Jane Foster watches from a distance. And who else is watching? Heimdall. And damn, both he and Asgard look very impressive.
With that, our twenty minute preview came to an end. Stay tuned to CBM tomorrow and over the next few days for more of my coverage from Kapow, including the descriptions of two brand new scenes featuring Tom Hiddleston as Loki. There’s a good reason why Marvel Studios have been keeping him under wraps. It’s because they know that he’ll steal the show! Thanks again to event organiser Sarah Unwin (as well as her sister Lucy) for all their help with covering the event over this weekend.
With an all star cast which includes Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury,
Thor is set to be released in the UK on April 29 and shortly after in the US on May 6, later this year!