Let’s be honest; Marvel Studios had a year. The Avengers grossed itself its own tiny island nation, and because of that now every movie they put into production is going to cast a wide net news-wise. It’s the old Deep Throat adage: “Follow the money.”

Well, when the money isn’t looking, let’s cast our eyes a little further to a a production that isn’t Iron Man 3. Because after that May 3rd, 2013 release all eyes turn next to the studio’s followup to the entertaining if not a tad underbaked Thor. We’ve already seen some pretty enticing set pics from the sequel, but there’s the matter of that Dark World subtitle. Those of us not affluent in the ways of the Asgardian Avenger’s funny paper adventures have no idea what to suspect. That is, without an official plot synopsis. Oh hey, look:

Marvel’s 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.

I reviewed Thor in a past life and thought that, while the film itself was lacking, the most important ingredient was there: Chris Hemsworth. That, and the film’s most interesting aspects took place in Asgard. Alan Taylor is an untested commodity in mainstream film as far as directors but anyone who’s seen his work on Game of Thrones can attest that he’ll be comfortable in the ball pit.

I suspect we’ll see a battle that starts in Asgard and bleeds into Marvel’s Earth – which is much more organic than a film that needed to get Thor on our planet as soon as possible.  And oh… that cast list.

Could Thor: The Dark World be Marvel’s best non-Avengers film yet? Easily. And that’s coming from a DC guy…

Source:  Stitch Kingdom via Collider