‘Thor 2’ Confirmed for Summer of 2013, Without Kenneth Branagh. Fail.

I thought that Thor was a fun, vacuous journey through hammers and Gods and action sequences. Enough to be excited for a sequel a couple years done the road. Marvel confirmed the obvious today, officially announced a second movie was coming. Then they done and crushed my little heart, announced  Kenneth Branagh wouldn’t be returning.

Slashfilm:

Walt Disney Pictures have finally  confirmed what we’ve suspected for a while, Thor 2 will be released in Summer 2013. Thor grossed $437 million worldwide, and Marvel Studios has a public mandate to release two movies a year. In 2011 it was  Thor and the upcoming  Captain America: The First Avenger. In 2012 it will be the  superhero team-up  The Avengers with no second release yet announced (is anything planned? If so we’d need to see an announcement very soon, or like, yesterday). In 2013 we’ll get  Iron Man 3 on May 3rd and Thor 2 later that Summer, on July 26th.

Chris Hemsworth is contracted to return, as is love interest  Natalie Portman(although its entirely possible she won’t). Director Kenneth Branagh will not return, and Marvel will need to find a new director to helm the sequel.

I get saddened that Marvel’s franchises don’t have the same continuity that makes Nolan’s Batman flicks so invigorating. One director’s vision working through an entire trilogy. Drats. Hopefully they bring in someone with some chops.