Game of Thrones director Brian Kirk may be helming Thor 2, since Thor director Kenneth Branagh won’t be returning to the sequel. Variety reports that Kirk, a veteran TV director, is in talks with Marvel Studios and Disney to take on the project.
Kirk may be well known for his directing work on the popular HBO fantasy adventure series Game of Thrones, but he has also directed episodes of other popular and sleek series, like Dexter, The Tudors, and Boardwalk Empire. If negotiations go well, Thor 2 will be Kirk’s feature film directorial debut.
That’s a big jump for any TV director, but insiders say Kirk is being courted for the job due to his ability to juggle large ensemble casts and complex storylines. He is also thought to be able to “ground the fantasy genre” while juggling actors and storylines, so that’s an added bonus. Thor 2 will apparently be rife with characters from Norse mythology and a large Aasgardian retinue, so Kirk’s skills will be appreciated.
Branagh was offered the director’s chair for Thor 2, but opted to explore other film projects. Namely, he will be directing Fox 2000’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Sounds like he’s ready for a change, jumping to a romance/drama pic after directing fantasy adventure/comic adaptation Thor.
If Kirk does end up directing Thor 2, it’s a jump that will catapult him into the spotlight in a big way, whether bad or good. Thor 2 will be another tentpole project for the studios involved, and with an enormous budget and Chris Hemsworth returning to reprise his role as the hammer-wielding Norse god Thor, Kirk will have his hands full.
