Issue 8: Sandy's Reflections on Thor: The Dark World (2013)

I honestly think I suffer from bad placement with these films. Ha! Back-to-back with Iron Man 3, I feel that The Dark World suffered from extreme disappointment in the glowing love that had been showered upon the MCU. Regarded by most as the worst entry in not just the Thor franchise, but also the MCU, I’d like to take a moment to once again defend my love of a misunderstood film.

I started doing research on the movie, and Natalie Portman, to find where this dislike of Jane Foster (once again, I have to defend my joy in Jane as a character), and I realized that I’m just tired of doing so. Why does everyone else dislike her? Or Natalie Portman’s portrayal?

 

Here’s a quick recap of where we were…”In the MCU, Jane Foster has doctorates of her own. Responsible for the Foster Theory and widely regarded as one of the world's most brilliant astrophysicists, she combines scientific discipline — she was in the running for a Nobel Prize — with a risk-taking adventurous spirit. Although fiercely independent, she was more than a little miffed to find out that after she and Thor connected in his first solo outing, he come back to Earth in The Avengers and didn't even bother to get in contact with her, as witnessed in a scene in Thor: The Dark World.”

 

Thor [Worried.]: "Where were you? Heimdall cannot see you."

 

Jane [Frustrated]: "I was right here where you left me. I was waiting, and then I was crying, and then I went out looking for you. [GETTING ANGRIER.] You said you were coming back."

 

Thor: "I know. I know, but the Bifrost was destroyed. The Nine Realms erupted into chaos. Wars were raging; marauders were pillaging. I had to put an end to the slaughter."

 

Jane [Calmer]: "As excuses go, it's not terrible. But I saw you on TV. You were in New York!"

 

Thor: "Jane, I fought to protect you from the dangers of my world, but I was wrong. I was a fool. But I believe that fate brought us together."

 

(https://www.looper.com/162039/heres-why-natalie-portman-decided-to-return-to-the-mcu/)

 

I have already written a blog entry (see #4) about Jane, so I don’t want to re-write the same one. I think that doing this project has helped me to “cook” ideas longer, or differently, now than when I simply watched—or re-watched—on my own. I realize now that I did much more prep prior to Iron Man 3 or Thor or Thor: The Dark World because I knew already that I was going to spend my time defending why I like these films. When I saw that I had four tabs open on “Natalie Portman” and “The Dark World” prior to watching the movie, I knew, going in, what to expect. And, honestly, now I realize why I like Jane.

 

She’s not Peggy Carter, a woman ahead of her time, making her way in a man’s world.

 

She’s not Pepper Potts, one part love interest, and one part business-woman powerhouse who can rock a meeting as well as an action sequence.

 

She’s not Black Widow, a super-spy with kick-ass skills who can best even superheroes or aliens in battle.

 

As she is built in the MCU, Jane is “vastly different from her comics counterpart” (Sarah Jane, 2019). In her first appearance in issue #84 of Journey into Mystery, Jane was originally a nurse for Dr. Donald Blake (there’s a nod to this in the first Thor film, when Jane gives Thor a shirt from her ex who's name was Don Blake): “Jane is in love with Dr. Blake, but they keep their true feelings secret, much like the relationships between DC’s Lois Lane and Superman” (https://www.looper.com/162039/heres-why-natalie-portman-decided-to-return-to-the-mcu/).

Jane was built, then, to be a parallel to the very popular Lois Lane for the competing MCU: A human woman in love with a god-like superhero. But the MCU didn’t stick with this story. 

 

So, let’s add another one to my list: She’s not Lois Lane, either.

 

Instead, they made Jane a character who, as further developed in Thor: The Dark World, has emotions. She has left the U.S. to go to England to follow a lead on Thor’s whereabouts (and the next step in her research). She goes out on a date to get “back in the game,” but she obviously isn’t into it (one of my favorite comedic moments in the film), and she shows anger over Thor’s perceived abandonment of her in the time between films. She’s also delightful with her “Holy shit! We have to do that again,” when she’s swooning over being transported to Asgard. She finally feels included—whether that is through discussing science with an Asgardian doctor or bonding with Thor's mother.

 

So who is Jane, then? If I wanted Pepper or Lois or Peggy or Black Widow…I could watch another film. I could enjoy other characters. But I don’t always want these characters. Sometimes…I just want to see the scientist who stutters when she’s talking with a god. Or who puts the cereal bowl in the cupboard because she’s flustered to be so close to her crush. Or who manages, in rubber rain boots, to use science to help Thor save the day. She’s not suave or super sexy or defined with kick-ass skills. She’s a bit geeky and unsure and flawed. So who is Jane Foster? And why do I like her?

 

Jane is me: The normal, flawed viewer who sometimes wants to curl up on the couch and see a version herself on the screen, quirks and all. 

 

So bring on the negativity about this film and my girl Jane. I bet I can find some rain boots in my closet!

Issue 8: Alex's Reflections on Thor: The Dark World (2013)

It is interesting to note that what I consider to be the weakest two movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are back-to-back in chronological order. As was stated in my previous review, Iron Man 3 supremely botched a classic villain (The Mandarin) and toyed with Tony Stark’s character. But Thor: The Dark World may lay claim to being the weakest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. 

Visually, the film is well done. The colors are strong, the sequences are visually coherent, and the effects are adequate. However, this film falters in its insistence on pushing the Thor and Dr. Jane Foster romance through a plot involving a Dark Elf named Malekith (Christopher Eccleston). My apologies to my fellow reviewers, but the Thor/Jane Foster romance feels incredibly forced. There are subtle hints at a possible love triangle throughout the film with Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander), but knowing how these movies progress, that story is quickly shelved. And for that matter, so is Jane Foster’s Story. Thor: The Dark World marks the end of Jane Foster’s impact in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Looking into the history before I completed this review, the reason for her departure is cited as “creative differences” (Hedash, 2019). Portman reportedly only agreed to the sequel because Patty Jenkins (the director of Wonder Woman) was originally hired. But the studio replaced Jenkins with Alan Taylor, and apparently the replacement of Jenkins displeased Portman.

 

I bring all of this up because a major shift in the Thor franchise occurs here, and it is centered around Portman’s character of Jane Foster. It is unfair of me to make assumptions about what happened with Natalie Portman’s situation with Marvel during the making of this film because I simply do not know the details. However, I can say that as a viewer of the film, I can see this issue having an impact in the movie itself. What is especially odd is the end credits scene where Thor comes back to see Jane. It is as if the film makers are telling the audience, “See, we’re not done with Jane’s character yet. Right? Are we done? Maybe. Who knows…” The reality is Marvel was done with Jane Foster until the recent Thor: Love and Thunder was announced where Natalie Portman is supposed to play Thor.

 

If you were to watch all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in one long binge watch, Thor: The Dark World would be the snack break. This is the movie you could skip. Yes, portions of it are referenced in Avengers: Endgame, but a simple explanation from a buddy would suffice in filling out the details:

Friend 1: “So yeah, Natalie Portman has this red stuff in her that turned out to be an Infinity Stone. And then you never see her again.”

Friend 2: “Oh, ok. Do I need to know anything else?”

Friend 3: “Nah. That’s it.”

And that, Charlie Brown, is the true meaning of Thor: The Dark World.

Reference

Hedash, K., (2019). Why Natalie Portman originally left the Thor movies.

 

 

Issue 8: Gian's Reflections on Thor: The Dark World (2013)

As I stated in an earlier blog post, I was not a big Loki fan when the early Marvel films were coming out. And though many people came to love Loki (played so perfectly by Tom Hiddleston), I found myself holding back. But watching the Marvel movies again, I have grown more and more fond of Loki’s character. And so I was very moved by Loki’s growth and development in Thor: The Dark World (2013). 

Which led to an interesting argument with my good friend, Alex. Alex feels that Loki remains evil, and he should be judged by his actions. In Thor, Loki tried to kill the all the Frost Giants. He also tried to strand to his brother on earth, caused who knows how much torment by making his brother think their father was dead, and committed treason against his home world of Asgard. When he landed on earth in The Avengers, Loki killed lots of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and mind controlled several others. He committed those acts as he pursued his goal to conquer all of humankind with a plan of unleashing an army of alien Chitauri onto the earth, destroying a lot of New York City in the process.

 

As Alex pointed out to me, that’s a lot of bad stuff: Loki deserves punishment, not our sympathy. It’s pretty hard to argue with that line of reasoning, but I’m going to try anyway. Because Loki’s story is about redemption, and I’d like to think that, no matter how far we fall, we always have a chance at redeeming ourselves.

 

Of course, I know some people do horrible, unforgivable things. That’s true. But whether or not we can forgive them for those acts, redemption is always about the individual trying to forgive themselves. I also take a small consolation in thinking that the Loki in Avengers was written too darkly for his true nature. I prefer Loki from The Avengers comic who didn’t kill anyone, but instead shouted “Bah! I’ll destroy you all!”: A daunting but hollow threat.

 

 

Of course, when Marvel brought it’s superheroes to the silver screen, they realized that an ethical code like not killing was hard to maintain in a more real looking world. So not only do Marvel’s villains kill, but so do Cap and Iron Man and the rest. Marvel has left the white-washed world of the Comics Code Authority far behind.

 

 

So while I admit, there are some challenges to feeling sympathy for Loki, I think it’s useful to recall the following scene from Thor: The Dark World. Loki has been sentenced to life in an Asgardian prison for his attempt to conquer earth. While he is there, Asgard is attacked by Dark Eleves who have come to steal the Aether (one of the Infinity Stones known as the Reality Stone). The Aether has been accidentally trapped inside Jane Foster (played by Natalie Portman who does great when the writers give her character anything worth doing!). To protect both Jane and the Aether, Queen Frigga (in a fine performance by Rene Russo) fights with the Dark Elves and is killed during the combat. Thor (embodied by Chris Hemsworth) goes nearly mad from the loss. Loki appears too angry to care, but then we learn the truth about his own suffering from his mother’s death. As Thor approaches the cell, Loki says:

 

Loki: “Thor. After all this time, and now you come to visit me. Why? Have you come to gloat? To mock?”

Thor: “Loki, enough. No more illusions.”

[Loki had been standing, sneering at Thor. But Loki closes his eyes, and the illusion fades away to reveal Loki slumped against the back wall of his cell. The chairs and tables in his cell have been smashed and broken. Loki is barefoot and his left foot has a long, bloody cut on it.]

Loki: “Now you see me, brother.”

[Thor walks up near the wall of the cell.]

Loki: “Did she suffer?”

Thor: “I did not come here to share our grief. Instead I offer you the chance of a far richer sacrament.”

Loki: “Go on.”

Thor: “I know you seek vengeance as much as I do. You help me escape Asgard, and I will grant it to you. Vengeance. And afterwards this cell.”

[Loki laughs bitterly.]

Loki: “You must be truly desperate to come to me for help. What makes you think you can trust me?”

Thor: “I don’t. Mother did. But you should know that when we fought each other in the past, I did so with glimmer of hope that my brother was still in there somewhere. That glimmer of hope no longer exists to protect you. You betray me, and I will kill you.

Loki [with a smile]: “Hmm. When do we start?”

 

The closes ups of Loki’s face show us how broken and lost he is from his mother’s death. When Thor offers him a chance at vengeance, of course he takes it. But he is simply trading anger for grief. Loki doesn’t care about living and thinks he has no reason to live. He has done too much evil, and the one person who truly loved him, his mother, is gone. Thor’s speech also makes it seem that he has given up on his brother.

 

Perhaps Loki deserves having everyone give up on him. And yet, how many of us have made huge mistakes? I think the reason audiences took to Loki as a character is not that we want to excuse his crimes. Instead, we can see ourselves in Loki: Flawed, crushed, sad, lost. A person does not have to commit major crimes (and I certainly hope none of our readers do!) to feel alone and guilty for any number of sins. How many people are haunted by their mistakes and bad choices? There’s a little bit of Loki in all of us: The trickster, the rebel, the child who believes they are loved less, the person who never got the glory they deserved.

 

And as we see Loki for what he truly is, not an evil demi-god or monster, but a flawed “human,” he begins to win us over. Well, maybe not my friend Alex, but me and a lot of other viewers. Loki does become a kind of cool anti-hero. And he is so charming and handsome, of course. But it is his grief and his failures and his struggles that make us root for him.

 

Loki has a brother that cares about him. A father who loves him in spite of Loki’s flaws. If Loki could let down his guard just a little, he could find the acceptance and love he needs far more than any king’s crown. But Loki can’t see his own faults. As his mother tells him, “You’re always so perceptive, about everyone but yourself.” Loki thinks everyone is against him and that he knows what’s best. He is wrong on both counts. His pride always gets in his way. He would rather mock people or act cynical or sulk in indignant outrage at the wrongs done to him, than swallow his pride and try to do better. “It’s not fair,” Loki always seems to be saying. How many times have I found myself saying that? And what about you?

 

As the film goes along, the two brothers end up fighting side-by-side. The key for both Loki and Thor is their brotherly bond. Like all brothers, they both love and hate each other, always struggling to outdo each other, even in grief:

 

Thor: “You had her tricks, but I had her trust!”

Loki: “Trust? Was that her last expression, trust? While you let her die?”

Thor: “What good were you in your cell?”

Loki: “Who put me there? WHO PUT ME THERE?”

Thor: “YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHO! YOU KNOW DAMN WELL!”

[Thor shoves Loki against a wall of their Viking winged airship, then lets him go.]

Thor: “She wouldn’t want us to fight.”

Loki: “Well, she wouldn’t exactly be shocked.”

Thor [smiles]: “I wish I could trust you.”

[As Thor turns away, Loki whispers,]

Loki: “Trust my rage.”

 

Loki’s rage is his way of protecting himself against all of his hurt and loss. But anger can only protect us for so long. We have to get past the anger. We have to let go of that anger and trust again, open ourselves up to the potential of being hurt again. The trust and the risk go hand in hand with the connection and the love.

 

Loki has to learn this. He has to learn trust, and he has to learn to be trustworthy. He has to find honor and earn the respect of his brother. He has to become better than he was. Which is what we want, too, to be better than who we have been when we have made mistakes. Which is why, despite all his flaws, so many of us end up rooting for Loki to find redemption. His redemption is a hope for our own.