There is always debate when ranking Marvel films, but most agree on one thing: Thor: The Dark World is near the bottom. The actor behind the film’s villain Malekith, Christopher Eccleston, has never been shy to voice his agreement. It seems he’s continued to be a fan of the franchise, however, and had great things to say about the new creative team behind Thor: Love and Thunder.
When asked about his experience on Thor: The Dark World at New York Comic Con, Eccleston reiterated his earlier statements about having to be “in make-up for six, seven hours every day,” which was something they did not tell him would be required up front. In fact, the Doctor Who actor is unrecognizable in his Malekith get-up, so Marvel really missed their opportunity to show off their prolific star. Something we’d love to see them remedy somewhere in their extensive slate. He had plenty of praise for his co-stars Chris Hemsworth and Anthony Hopkins and is also aware of the climate of comic book films these days, saying.
“I understand that some people love that particular film, and some of you actually like Malekith the naughty elf, so that’s only my experience within it. But I know that people love the film and I accept that and I’m careful about it. I’m so diplomatic these days!”
Christopher Eccleston did briefly discuss his reservations about the film’s tone, though. He said, “There was a lack of humor in the film, I felt… so shall we move on?” So, it’s no surprise that he thought the third Thor-centric film, Thor: Ragnarok was “brilliantly written” by Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle and Christopher L Yost.
Under the direction of Taika Waititi, Thor: Ragnarok took a hard left tonally and character-wise for the franchise, catapulting the Asgardian from the myth-based Shakespeare-in-the-park guy to the hilarious and complex hero we see in Avengers: Endgame. Eccleston noticed this shift and said he would consider teaming up with Marvel again under similar circumstances.
“If it was the guy[s] who wrote the third… I’ll do that.”
Although Malekith has gone down as one of the more forgettable villains, it didn’t slow down Eccleston at all. He returned to television for a slew of projects including Safe House, The Leftovers and The A Word. He can most recently be seen in a handful of films like Where Hands Touch, Dead in a Week (Or Your Money Back) and the latest TV movie iteration of King Lear.
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While his fellow original Avengers retired their suits, Hemsworth will be returning as Thor Odinson in Thor: Love and Thunder alongside Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie) and director Waititi. Natalie Portman (Jane Foster) is making her return to the franchise to pick up the hammer as Mighty Thor, as is Kat Dennings as her babbling best friend. So, Marvel, we wouldn’t be mad if you could squeeze in an Eccleston too. This news comes to us from NYCC via Radio Times.
