Thor's plot wasn't complicated. It told the story of the god-king Odin, who had two sons: Thor and Loki.
Thor was reckless, impulsive, and arrogant. Under Loki's temptation, he launched a war against the Frost Giants without permission, resulting in Odin banishing him to Earth.
Stripped of his powers, Thor caused many comical incidents on Earth and met Jane Foster, as well as the research team led by Erik Selvig and Darcy Lewis.
Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D. also noticed the hammer Odin had sent to Earth. Nick Fury and Agent Coulson, who had appeared in Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, made appearances.
Additionally, the film introduced another superhero, Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner.
Taking advantage of Odin's exhaustion and unconscious state, Loki seized the throne. To prevent Thor from returning and threatening him, Loki allied with the Frost Giants.
He also sent the Destroyer to Earth to eliminate Thor. To protect Jane Foster and his friends, Thor faced the Destroyer alone and earned the recognition of Mjolnir, regaining his divine powers.
He returned to Asgard and defeated his brother Loki. To protect Asgard, he had to destroy the Bifrost Bridge.
Loki fell into the endless cosmos, and Thor had broken his promise to Jane Foster, but in the end, he earned Odin's approval and became a qualified god of thunder.
This story was very much a classic template, one that could be applied to any superhero.
The pattern was simple: arrogant and overconfident at first, facing setbacks, falling to the bottom, then growing and rising again.
Almost all superhero movies follow this template, including Gilbert's The Dark Knight.
However, The Dark Knight's approach was more advanced. Even in the end, debates over who truly won between the Joker and Batman could stir endless discussions among fans.
Although Thor followed a template, it still introduced a new superhero story. For people unfamiliar with the comics, prior knowledge of this hero was limited.
At the box office, the film performed well. It earned $42.56 million over its opening three-day weekend, quite impressive for a Thor film without major star power.
This strong opening weekend allowed Kevin Feige to breathe easier. He faced immense pressure, carrying the hopes of the entire company.
Although Gilbert repeatedly assured him, if Thor flopped, Marvel Studios' reputation would be at risk—a result Feige could not afford.
Several media outlets also praised the film. Empire magazine commented, "This is Marvel's return to form. They've introduced a new hero, clearing the shadow left by The Incredible Hulk."
The Hollywood Reporter stated, "Kenneth Branagh successfully made this film approachable, coherent, and engaging. He handled potentially foolish material with finesse, turning it into a massive, grand, and visually striking superhero movie."
Los Angeles Times reviewer Kayla Wortney added, "Thor may not be groundbreaking, but it is a satisfying and entertaining big-screen superhero film."
Director Kenneth Branagh mentioned in an interview, "Throughout the production process, Gilbert provided tremendous support. From script setup to casting, filming, and post-production, he left no detail untouched, helping us complete the film perfectly."
Lead actor Chris Hemsworth transformed from a miner into a movie star through this film. Speaking about this exciting journey, he expressed genuine excitement.
"I was a newcomer, and starting with such an exhilarating film was thrilling. When I first received the script, I read it seven times, imagining myself as Thor."
"I am very grateful to Gilbert. He had the eye to see potential, spotting me immediately."
Megan Fox expressed mixed feelings: "I went through a lot recently, but thankfully it's all behind me. I believe things will only get better."
Tom Hiddleston revealed he would continue appearing in Marvel films: "As far as I know, my character will appear in future Marvel movies. I don't know in what capacity yet, but they told me, and I look forward to continuing with Marvel."
Of course, Thor also received some criticism. The most common complaint was that it was overly comedic, with jokes and gags feeling forced.
Some reviewers even claimed that Thor lowered the bar for superheroes, turning it into a B-grade fart-and-poop comedy.
Nevertheless, audiences generally enjoyed the film. Its 7.5 rating on IMDb was proof that it qualified as a solid commercial movie.
In this context, Thor continued to dominate the weekend box office with $25.33 million in its second weekend.
Combined with studio earnings of $15.2 million and the opening weekend, the North American box office reached $83.09 million. While this may not seem huge, top-tier blockbusters now often surpass $100 million in their opening weekend.
For a film without an extremely strong star cast, and not featuring highly iconic superheroes like Superman, Batman, or Spider-Man, this performance was actually very solid.
Starting from the third weekend, Thor began releasing in various international markets. However, the overseas response was lukewarm. Despite its dazzling visual effects, not every audience was satisfied by effects alone.
In its first week overseas, Thor earned only $55.74 million internationally. Meanwhile, North American box office declined further, bringing in $18.08 million for the week, raising the North American total to $101.17 million.
With the addition of international earnings, Thor's total worldwide box office reached $156.91 million, still some distance from recouping its production costs.
Gilbert believed that Thor's box office would generate a modest profit. But for Marvel, that was already sufficient.
Breaking even at the box office—or even making a small profit—was enough. Gilbert repeatedly emphasized to Marvel executives not to fixate on the success or failure of a single film but to consider the bigger picture.
Many audiences now knew that Thor, the god of thunder, existed as a superhero, and that alone was a major achievement.
The same applied to Captain America. Compared to newer-generation superheroes, Steve Rogers was undoubtedly an older hero, somewhat outdated.
Yet his story had to be told. Otherwise, introducing Steve Rogers out of nowhere would seem strange to the audience.
Although the movie was titled Captain America, Scarlett Johansson's role as Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, also had substantial screen time. The film effectively told the origin story of two superheroes simultaneously.
Looking at it this way, Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner, fared worse in comparison, as he appeared in Thor already as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
Perhaps in the future, a series could explore Hawkeye's story before and after joining S.H.I.E.L.D. Of course, it would be ideal if Jeremy Renner agreed to reprise the role for such a series.
As for leading a film, honestly, Hawkeye didn't quite have the qualifications to carry one.
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