In an exclusive interview with EW.com,
THOR director Kenneth Branagh had plenty to say about bringing humor and humility to the character of THOR in the upcoming feature film from Marvel.
I was convinced when it was in development that part of this happening on contemporary Earth was absolutely the right way to go. And with the fantastical element we're asking people to go along with, one way to make that happen and allow it to be dramatic and serious when it needs to be, is to have a sense of humor about it. The film was never designed to be portentous or self important. It wants to have a really good time enjoying the consequences of the culture clash.
THOR doesn't have a sense of humor about himself, but is that whats funny about him?
We always felt there was a very strong mine for material in the fish-out-of-water. When you reduce a man who is arrogant by temperament, extremely oppressive and used to having his own way, dressed, um...unusually, you are immediately in a position where you have comic friction. This is a guy who continues to live his own reality. In his mind, he's still prince of the cosmos and he'll do what he wants. People from Earth getting in his way and asking silly questions is immaterial.
We all know he's an all-powerful god, but this movie also makes him kind of a screw up. His belligerence gets him banished to Earth, which disgusts him. He has to prove himself worthy again to his father [Odin, played by Anthony Hopkins]-but is that what he's doing with the audience, too?
Even in the case of a god, audiences - paradoxically - enjoy recognising the human traits. In Thor's case, we are thrilled by his powers, but I think we relate to his emotions. There are some flaws, some foibles, sibling rivalries at work and romantic entanglements. The way in to making a god attractive is to find out where his experience connects to a human one.
Hawksblueyes: To read the rest of this interview in it's entirety at EW.com, click on the link below.