Let's be honest: Thor: The Dark World wasn't quite what fans were expecting to see. True, the first Thor movie didn't set the world on fire, but it was still a fun movie to watch. Its sequel, on the other hand, never found the balance between comedy and tragedy. The final film ended up being a mish-mash of ideas and moments, and it failed to live up to the legacy set forth by the original movie.
There was a huge amount of set-up for the third Thor movie during Avengers: Age of Ultron, and with its 2017 release date fast approaching, Marvel Studios is starting to gear up for production. However, it's clear that the studio doesn't want what happened with Thor: The Dark World to happen again - and if the rumors are true, the studio is taking a literal step backwards.
According to Umberto Gonzalez on a recent episode of Popcorn Talk, Marvel Studios may be looking at Thor director Kenneth Branagh to return for Thor: Ragnarok...though it might not be quite as simple as that.
"I was hearing that Marvel wanted Kenneth Branagh back for Thor 3. But, he just got an offer to direct Murder on the Orient Express at Fox. So, I don't know if it is going to happen or not. They're thinking about bringing him back into the fold."
Again, this is all a rumor, so everything should be taken with a grain of salt. That being said, returning to Branagh does make a lot of sense for Marvel. Thor may have suffered from Origin Story Syndrome, but it established Thor's character extremely well - Hemsworth's take on the character quickly became the most popular incarnation yet, and a lot of that has to do with Branagh.
Sadly, in Thor: The Dark World, much of that goofiness and levity was thrown out the window in favor of brooding and fake-out death scenes. The second movie just wasn't as fun as the first, but who knows? Maybe bringing Branagh back will solve the series' problems...if he's not busy working on Murder on the Orient Express, that is.
One way or another, Marvel's going to want to make their decision quickly: Thor: Ragnarok is due to hit theaters on July 28, 2017.
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