It late June it was first announced that Kenneth Branagh would not be returning to direct a sequel to Marvel Studio's Thor. In one sense it was surprising, as Branagh had repeatedly talked about his love of the character from when he was a child and seemed to have a lot of passion for it, but in another sense it was totally understandable as Branagh isn't exactly a "sequel" kind of guy. Since then, however, there has been plenty of curiosity as to who would be the person taking the helm on Thor 2 and now it seems the studio has found their man.
Variety has learned that Brian Kirk has entered negotiations to serve at the helm of the superhero sequel. The news comes as a bit of a surprise, as the feature film will only be Kirk's second, the first being the Matthew Macfadyen-starring Middletown in 2006. Most of Kirk's experience is on the small screen, but his resume is quite impressive in that department. The filmmakers list of titles include episodes of Dexter, Boardwalk Empire, Luther, The Tudors and the incredibly popular Game of Thrones. According to the report it is Kirk's "abilities to juggle large ensembles of thesps and complex storylines" that has impressed the brass at Marvel as well as his ability to ground fantasy in reality. Thor 2 is scheduled to hit theaters on July 26, 2013, three months after the release of Iron Man 3.
Marvel probably also loves the idea of hiring Kirk because he would come at a much smaller price than a director on the level of Branagh. But what do the fans think? Is there enough cross-over in themes between the world of Thor and Game of Thrones that the choice of Brian Kirk makes sense? Let your voice be heard in the comments section below.
