While 2008 is the year the Marvel Cinematic Universe was born with "Iron Man", 2011 is when it began to take real shape with the release of "Captain America: The First Avenger" and "Thor". Strangely, though, the origin story for the God of Thunder doesn't receive the plaudits it merits; instead, it's lost to the annals of time and has become a footnote in comic book movie history.
When it comes to choosing a "Thor" film to watch, the original movie is often swept aside for the chuckles of 2017's "Thor: Ragnarok", or the cackles of 2022's "Thor: Love and Thunder". (Obviously, no one picks 2013's "The Dark World"; we pretend that one doesn't exist, and for good reason).
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, "Thor" introduces Chris Hemsworth as the booming and boisterous God of Thunder. Hemsworth commits to the part in every sense, altering his demeanour and appearance into that of Thor Odinson (including dying his eyebrows blonde).
This is a different version of the character than most fans are familiar with these days. He's arrogant and entitled, believing he is owed his father Odin's (Anthony Hopkins) position as the ruler of the realm of Asgard. After one mistake too many and a little Machiavellian interference courtesy of his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor is stripped of his divine powers and banished to Earth, sentenced to live among the rest of us unworthy mortals.
The journey of his arc is obvious here. He needs to humble himself to prove he's worthy to be a leader and the rightful wielder of Mjolnir, and it's through his interactions with humans like Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), and Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) that he learns about the importance of nobility and sacrifice. It isn't a moment too soon, either, since Loki gets up to his old tricks after finding out he's adopted.
A reborn Thor, along with his Asgardian pals who rally behind him, put a stop to the God of Mischief's nefarious plans. Mature and more thoughtful than before, Thor admits he isn't ready to become king – an act that convinces Odin that his boy has finally become a man.
What stands out most about "Thor" is how deftly Branagh oversees the character's introductory story. Unlike other superheroes who are bitten by radioactive spiders or take Super Soldier serum like it's anabolic steroids, the God of Thunder is already born powerful. There is no path to him gaining his abilities, then finding a greater purpose to attach himself to. This film strips an almighty hero of his gifts and forces him to find what really matters most in life: character. All the power in the world doesn't matter if your heart and head aren't right — and this is something that Thor comes to understand.
Bringing his experience of all things William Shakespeare, Branagh also elevates the stakes through the crafty addition of family drama. Like Shakespeare in space, the Odinsons have many problems and underlying tension between them. There's everything from resentment to jealousy, favouritism, and deceit swirling around in a boiling-hot cauldron where fair is foul and foul is fair.
There's a gut-punching element of tragedy, too, as Loki kills his real father, Laufey (Colm Feore), then appears to plummet to his own death in the final act. However, the latter is revealed to be a ruse on the part of the trickster god.
It's remarkable to consider everything that "Thor" achieves in its 114-minute runtime. Yes, there's action, romance, and the typical MCU superhero shenanigans every fan expects, but the film has as much soul and curiosity about its characters and world as your average A24 production.
It's a sweeping story that takes audiences from the celestial planes to Earth, questioning divine authority and exploring the human experience. Unlike most Marvel movies that have the complexity of a shopping list, this film is refreshingly deeper and boasts rare transformative arcs for various characters — and not just the lead.
The real tragedy here is to see Thor's fall from grace in the MCU. Oscillating between a bumbling brute and an ironic ignoramus, Marvel Studios sees the God of Thunder more like the God of Blunder, kicking out the knees of the steady 2011 film in favour of single-digit IQ humour. Thor is now a circus clown — not even a funny one at that — relegated to being the butt of Star-Lord's unfunny jokes and the least-serious Avenger. Oh, how the mighty have fallen!
It's even worse when you find out that Branagh harboured serious plans for the character, including a destiny-fulfilling arc that would have seen Thor make the ultimate sacrifice and pay off the themes introduced in the first movie.
"I'd always wanted to do more and indeed had a couple of ideas, more in the territory of James Mangold's brilliant 'Logan,'" Branagh told Business Insider. "I would love to see Chris Hemsworth and the others have their own individual final story that takes Thor into a glorious twilight."
Alas, it's too late for Thor's swansong to have the major impact that Branagh may have imagined. Too much damage has been done to the character in recent years, to the point that any death would be seen as a mercy killing now. It's like allowing Rob Schneider to write a sequel to a Shakespeare story, then bemoaning the fact that it's toilet humour.
Even so, despite the MCU moving a million miles away from what "Thor" stands for, the film still exists and will never be erased. Just as people look back at what Richard Donner and his team did to immortalise the Man of Steel in 1978's "Superman", the same holds true for Branagh and Co's achievements with "Thor".
It's a work of art that commands your attention like the first rumble of thunder splitting open a quiet sky. Pity that the lightning that followed was so underwhelming.
"Thor" is available to watch on Disney+.
