Almost eight years after it hit theaters, Thor: The Dark World still stands out as one of Marvel Studios’ weakest efforts. At the time, some of the film’s harshest critics blamed its director, Alan Taylor, who previously racked up praise for his TV work on shows like The Sopranos and Game of Thrones. Now, Taylor is looking back at what went wrong behind the scenes.
Taylor reflected on the time he spent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe during a new wide-ranging conversation with The Hollywood Reporter. Taylor replaced future Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, who vacated The Dark World’s director’s chair over concerns with the film’s script. But it sounds like Taylor shared many of these concerns, and he even had his own ideas for how to improve the story.
“The version I had started off with had more childlike wonder,” explained Taylor. “There was this imagery of children, which started the whole thing. There was a slightly more magical quality, there was weird stuff going on back on Earth because of the convergence that allowed for some of these magical realism things. And there were major plot differences that were inverted in the cutting room and with additional photography — people [such as Loki] who had died were not dead, people who had broken up were back together again. I think I would like my version.”
RELATED: Patty Jenkins Reflects on Her Exit From Thor: The Dark World
Taylor went on to suggest that filmmakers like James Gunn or Taika Waititi could have salvaged the movie. However, the fallout from The Dark World is nothing compared to what he experienced with Terminator Genisys. As Taylor tells it, his girlfriend initially advised him to turn down Paramount’s ill-fated attempt to inject new blood into the Terminator franchise. Regardless, Taylor couldn’t bring himself to pass up the opportunity. And the ensuing fan backlash shook his faith in his career.
“I had lost the will to make movies,” said Taylor. “I lost the will to live as a director. I’m not blaming any person for that. The process was not good for me. So I came out of it having to rediscover the joy of filmmaking.”
Needless to say, Taylor was able to rediscover his passion for filmmaking. His next movie, The Many Saints of Newark (a prequel to The Sopranos), hits theaters and HBO Max on October 1.
What do you make of Taylor’s latest comments about Thor: The Dark World? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Thor by Jason Aaron: The Complete Collection Vol. 1
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