All
growed
up
If there’s a recurring theme to be spotted in everything that’s
being said of Thor’s returning cast, it’s that the film’s characters
have evolved and matured following the events of the original
and The Avengers. Many of the characters – like Jane Foster’s
intern Darcy Lewis (played by Kat Dennings), and Asgard’s
warden of the Bifröst bridge, Heimdall (played by Idris Elba) –
enjoy more screen time after fan reactions to their appearances
proved overwhelmingly positive. Meanwhile, the new members
of the cast all seem expectedly thrilled to be on the project.
Jane Foster
Thor Odinson
You may have noticed in
The Avengers that Thor
didn’t stop by to say a quick
hello to former love interest
Jane. Awkward. In The
Dark World, Thor will finally
reconnect with astrophysicist
Foster when she’s infected
by a mysterious force.
She’s taken to Asgard, and
actress Natalie Portman
says the change of scenery
has proven challenging for
her character. In the first
movie, Thor was out of his
Asgardian comfort zone
when he travelled to Earth.
This time around, it’s Foster
who’s out of place amidst
the strange, otherworldly
opulence of Asgard.
The Thunder God learnt a
valuable lesson in humility
in the first film. Chris
Hemsworth says he loves
playing the character, and
finding new ways to show
the character’s gradual
personal growth. This time
around there’s more at stake
for Asgard’s prince than ever
before, with his home facing
a threat th at could rob him of
everything he holds dear.
Malekith the
Accursed and
Algrim the
Strong
The Dark Elves were
thought to have been
destroyed thousands of
years ago after previously
assaulting Asgard, but
Malekith does a good job of
dispelling that myth. Actor
Christopher Eccleston has
described the character as
being surprisingly tragic,
having lost his family
along with everything and
everyone he holds dear
in the first war. Revenge is
now primary in his mind.
Eccleston revealed that his
role called for six hours of
make-up and 45 minutes in
wardrobe.
Malekith’s loyal Lieutenant,
Algrim the Strong, fought
with Malekith in the previous
war with Asgard. He’s called
upon to sacrifice himself
to embody the form of an
immensely powerful being
known as Kurse, with the sole
intent of killing the Thunder
God. Adewale AkinnuoyeAgbaje, who plays the
character, says the role of
Algrim saw him undergoing
six hours of make-up along
with prosthetics, while
Kurse required three hours
of make-up per day and
extensive use of Serious
Business prosthetics.
feature / movies / Thor: The Dark World
Loki
Laufeyson
Thor’s brother and Odin’s
adopted son is languishing
in the sort of prison you’d
imagine to be fit for a
god bent on humanity’s
destruction. When the Dark
Elves attack Asgard, Loki and
Thor initiate an uneasy truce,
joining forces in the hope
that it’ll better their odds of
repelling the invasion. Tom
Hiddleston is keen to portray
a Loki who’s hit bottom,
who’s succumbed to his
baser instincts – but is now
perhaps ready to seek some
form of redemption.
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