As in the comics, so in the movies has Thor struggled to stand out as a sympathetic character, a hero for us to cheer on through the quiet scenes as well as the action sequences. Whereas Thor: the Mighty Avenger aimed to give him humanity by trapping him in a podunk, no-FX town and making him literally human, the boisterous sequel Thor: the Dark World tries a different approach: it gives up on making him work as a solo hero in his own right, and treats him as a senior but equal member of an ensemble instead. Call them Avengers: Asgard Coast.

More about America’s favorite Asgardian and his brother Thor…