It has been a whole decade since the world premiere of Thor: The Dark World. But it’s still common to see the second outing for the God of Thunder listed among the worst movies in the history of the MCU. Frankly, we’ve had enough. After 10 years, it’s time to give The Dark World the respect it deserves.
Have patience, MCU fans, we know this is a tough argument to make. If you’ve rewatched the Marvel movies in order recently, you’ll know how consistent the early days of this universe were. It seemed like the new movies in the immediate aftermath of Iron Man were hit after hit, so it’s perhaps no surprise that The Dark World took a pasting.
We can see why, to an extent. There were some dull, overly similar Marvel villains in that era of the franchise, but very few of them were as forgettable as Christopher Eccleston’s malevolent elf Malekith the Accursed. Eccleston’s a terrific actor and we loved his time in Doctor Who, but he did not sparkle as part of the Thor cast.
But beyond that, there’s a lot to like. While it’s Ragnarok that gets all of the credit for tapping into Thor’s comedy potential, The Dark World is a very funny movie. Marvel script veterans Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely did a stellar job, while it’s no coincidence that their co-writer Christopher L. Yost returned to the fold for Ragnarok.
If nothing else, this movie gives us the sight gag of Thor hanging Mjolnir – a powerful and mysterious ancient weapon – on a coat rack. It’s one of the standout MCU gags.
The Dark World also gave Kat Dennings an enhanced spotlight as Jane’s assistant Darcy and she made the most of that to turn a potentially unsung role into a memorable comic addition to the roster of Marvel characters.
It’s also a movie with some surprisingly impressive battle sequences, helped by the presence of Game of Thrones veteran Alan Taylor behind the camera. Asgard looks absolutely stunning thanks to the use of Iceland’s endless supply of absurd scenery and there’s real scale to the action, both in Thor’s home and in London – as geographically inaccurate as it may be.
So next time you’re browsing through everything that’s new on Disney Plus after checking up on Thor’s brother in Loki season 2, we’d recommend firing up Thor: The Dark World again. It has been 10 years now, and we bet it’s a lot better than you remember. The time has come for one of Thor’s best movies to get the credit it deserves.
Check out our Loki season 2 review for our take on the latest addition to Marvel Phase 5. You can also learn why we think Ouroboros has a more meaningful connection to Loki than you first thought. Prepare for a mythological deep dive!
Elsewhere, we’ve got all of the information you need on the upcoming Marvel movies, starting with The Marvels. Finally, learn which dead MCU character is set for a surprise return in The Marvels.