By [ad_1]
Following a young boy named Buddy, Belfast reunites Kenneth Branagh with Marvel’s Thor by way of an old-school comic book.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Belfast, now in theaters.
The Marvel version of Thor is well known for being played by Chris Hemsworth, with the God of Thunder debuting back in 2011’s Thor movie. This film, directed by acclaimed Shakespearean director Sir Kenneth Branagh, was the beginning of the Asgardian’s movie series, which is soon to receive a fourth entry. Though Branagh hasn’t returned to Marvel, he just featured its version of Thor in his latest movie.
Belfast is a deeply personal tale of a childhood interrupted by the events of the Troubles in Ireland. Following a young boy named Buddy amid the terrible Troubles, Belfast reunites Kenneth Branagh with Marvel’s Thor by way of an old-school comic book.
Thor Comes to Belfast
As mentioned, the plot of Belfast takes place in the Troubles in Ireland in the 1960s, which was a tumultuous time of social and political upheaval. The conflict of the day saw Protestant and Catholic Irish citizens at each other’s throats, and soon, once peaceful neighborhoods were reduced to a warzone.
Living in this time is Buddy, a young boy who’s somewhat of a stand-in for Branagh’s own youth. Even amid all of the violence and danger around him, Buddy tries to maintain some semblance of a childhood using toys, games and even American comic books. An example seen of the latter is an issue of Marvel’s Thor, with Buddy mentioning that the title hero has to defeat a monster in the issue’s story.
Though the scene is brief, it obviously meant a lot to Branagh to put it in, and it was initially going to stand out a lot more. He originally envisioned the colors of the comic popping out of the screen in the black and white film, but he eventually decided against it. Despite this missed opportunity, the movie’s use of Thor and its autobiographical nature helps shed light on Branagh’s own fandom for the God of Thunder.
Kenneth Branagh and Thor
Belfast, while not explicitly based on Branagh’s own childhood in Ireland, is still a tale inspired by his personal experiences. Likewise, he mentioned how eye-popping the original Jack Kirby art of Thor was, so he obviously seemed to have been a fan of Thor comic books in his youth. It was thus a no-brainer to have him direct the Norse God’s first MCU outing, especially since it was so inspired by the director’s takes on Shakespeare.
It’s also worth noting that actor Ciaran Hinds has a prominent role in Belfast, and he previously voiced Steppenwolf, another of Jack Kirby’s cosmic creations, in both versions of Justice League. In many ways, the film shows how heroism and child-like innocence can help to brighten up even the darkest of circumstances. Though Thor has gone in a more comedic direction in the movies, his use elsewhere is in a much more somber, deep affair.
See Marvel’s Thor invade historical Ireland in Belfast, in theaters now.
About The Author
[ad_2]
