Whenever Chris Hemsworth‘s final story as Thor is ready to be told in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, director Kenneth Branagh wants to be the one calling the shots behind the camera.
Branagh helmed the first Thor movie for Marvel Studios. Released in 2011 as part of Phase 1 of the MCU, Thor introduced audiences to Hemsworth’s God of Thunder, who is stripped of his powers and his hammer Mjölnir and banished to Earth by his father Odin until he can prove himself worthy. In his absence, his brother Loki plots to take the Asgardian throne.
Thor was a critical and commercial success, leading Marvel to move ahead with a sequel, 2013’s Thor: The Dark World, which saw Alan Taylor replace Branagh in the director’s chair. However, in a new interview with Business Insider, Branagh revealed that he had been approached to return for Thor: The Dark World, but declined due to needing a break after spending three years of his life on the first movie.
“I definitely was ready for another, for sure, but not right then. Marvel shoots are intense. Marvel post-production is more intense — wildly exciting but super intense. I definitely needed to smell the roses. Kevin Feige was very understanding, and so was the cast. I needed a break,” the filmmaker explained.
Branagh added, “I was thrilled to be asked. They were disappointed; they understood, but they were disappointed. They wanted to go straight away with a sequel, and why shouldn’t they? And I said to Kevin at that time, ‘I don’t have it in me.’”
Kenneth Branagh wants to return to the MCU for another Thor movie
With 15 years having passed since Thor was released in theaters, Branagh has long finished his break and is now ready to return to the MCU. He revealed that he would love to direct the final Thor movie for Marvel Studios, going on to reveal his idea for a Logan-style send-off for Hemsworth.
“Part of me would love to finish my relationship with that character. I’d always wanted to do more and indeed had a couple of ideas, more in the territory of James Mangold’s brilliant Logan. I would love to see Chris Hemsworth and the others have their own individual final story that takes Thor into a glorious twilight,” Branagh shared.
Mangold’s Logan was a 2017 superhero movie that was developed to serve as Hugh Jackman’s swan song for the X-Men character Wolverine. The R-rated sequel took inspiration from the “Old Man Logan” comics, following an aged Wolverine who must defend a young mutant named Laura from the Reavers. It received a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination at the 90th Academy Awards.
Thor is currently set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, which will mark Hemsworth’s tenth live-action appearance as the fan-favorite superhero. A fifth Thor film has been rumored to be in the works at Marvel Studios, but has not been officially announced at this time.
All four Thor movies and Logan are available to stream on Disney+.
