Thor: The Dark World Villains Revealed?

The main villains and possible story for Marvel’s upcoming sequel Thor: The Dark World might have been revealed a month ago without anyone even knowing it. Comic Book Movie has discovered an interview on writer Simon Bland’s website I Review Too … with seasoned Hollywood stuntman James Grogan, who has been doing work on the God of Thunder’s next cinematic adventure.

Grogan used a story from his work on Thor 2 to demonstrate the importance of acting skill in stunt work:

“The other day for example, this is quite random but I was working on Thor 2,” he explains, “I had a load of stunt guys in and the director came in and he said ‘Look, we want you all to be elves,’ and I was like ‘What the hell is an elf anyway?’ and he said ‘I want you all to walk around like these supernatural animals,’ honestly it was the most ridiculous thing ever but you just have to not be self aware and get on with it.”

So director Alan Taylor wants elves, eh? That word alone could turn an otherwise innocent example into a reveal that might have Marvel Studios execs in a PR tizzy shortly.

The mention of elves in tandem with the newly revealed title suggests Chris Hemsworth could be battling the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim and their leader, Malekith the Accursed.

Bland is careful to point out that there are all kinds of elves in the Thor universe, but he’s not the only one to theorize that Malekith will be the film’s main villain. CBM also makes the point that Tom Hiddleston is expected to return in some capacity as Loki, and in Malekith’s first appearance in Thor #344, the Dark Elf leader teamed with Loki to find the Casket of Ancient Winters.

The Casket of Ancient Winters is not — as it sounds — a lost item from Legends of the Hidden Temple, but instead a relic that can reproduce the frozen cold of Niflheim as well as make its owner grown steadily younger. When Thor eventually defeated Malekith, the casket was destroyed, which put a deep freeze over Earth.

Malekith’s abilities include a superior intellect as well as enhanced physical abilities. He can also manipulate magic, including the ability to teleport and transform his appearance.

If Malekith ends up to actually be the film’s villain, we can assume this is the role that would have been played by Mads Mikkelsen had he not departed for NBC’s Hannibal. 

Thor: The Dark World is scheduled to shoot this fall and be released on November 8th, 2013.