If you listen to the announcement before every panel at Comic Con, video recording is strictly prohibited and all of the footage shown is meant to be for the Hall H audience and the Hall H audience alone. But that doesn't mean that every year somebody doesn't decide to take the video and spread it across the web, and that is just what has happened with this year's most anticipated footage: Kenneth Branagh's Thor.
Someone has posted a copy of the five minute plus trailer to MegaVideo, believing in the democracy of footage. Surprisingly, the quality is quite high and is not simply someone recording it on a cell phone (which wouldn't have worked due to the fact that it was all in 3D). It won't be around long so watch it now and enjoy it while it lasts.
UPDATE! Unfortunately Paramount has done a pretty good job of nuking this trailer out of existence. Every conceivable copy of it has been scrubbed from the internet. We'll let you know as soon as it becomes available again. Subscribe to our Twitter or Facebook feeds for instant updates. While you wait, get more on Thor from our preview page.
Here's what's left of our descriptions of the trailer's contents, after the studio's lawyers had their way with them:
At the end of Iron Man 2 S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson is called to New Mexico where he finds Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, buried deep into the desert floor. Because nobody can move the hammer other than it’s rightful owner, but knowing that it’s an item that needs to be protected, S.H.I.E.L.D. builds a base around the object to protect it. As we see in the trailer, however, nobody comes between a Norse God and his weapon.
This is the Hall of Asgard, which contains Odin’s throne. In the trailer, Odin discusses succession with his brash son, Thor, and announces that he is not yet ready to bestow the crown upon his head because of his arrogance. After taking away Thor’s powers, Odin casts the God of Thunder to Earth to learn humility.
I’ve included this picture just as a way to appease the fans. While he obviously doesn’t wear it all the time and the film has replaced long, white feathers with metal ones, Thor does wear a winged helmet in the film.
Much like Arthur is the only one who can pull the sword from the stone, Thor is only able to remove Mjolnir from the Earth after he has learned his lesson. This scene, in which he breaks into the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, takes out a bunch of guards and tries to remove the hammer, obviously comes early in the film, as he has obviously not gotten rid of his impetuous ways.
Those looking at the Thor series from the outside in may be familiar with names such as Thor, Loki and Odin by this point, but there are other important Asgardians to know. For starters there is Sif and the Warriors Three, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg (played by Jaimie Alexander, Joshua Dallas, Tadanobu Asano, and Ray Stevenson). All four are Gods of Asgard and it’s sworn protectors. They fight on the side of Thor, though, in the scene pictured, are bowing down to Loki who has just been named their ruler.
Next is this charming looking fellow. Played by Idris Elba, this is Heimdall. The character is the brother of Sif and the first line of defense for Asgard. Standing guard on the rainbow bridge, he watches to ensure that the world is never attacked. He has earned this position due to his extremely skilled senses and strength.
It’s entirely possible I am wrong about this one (please be gentle in the comment section), but what I believe we see here is Loki approaching the cosmic cube. Mentioned during the Captain America scene that was also shown at the Marvel panel, the cosmic cube bestows the greatest power in the universe upon its holder: the ability to bend reality. While it wouldn’t be so bad for a person on the side of good to be holding this mythical artifact, trusting someone like Loki with it is as bad an idea as you can have.
Those walking the exhibition hall of the San Diego Convention Center have seen this guy before, known as The Destroyer, but here we get to see it in motion for the first time. A suit of armor forged by Odin, it is a weapon of extreme power that Loki has used on many occasions to try and destroy Thor. In addition to extreme strength and the ability to shoot energy blasts, the suit can also manipulate matter and take flight. Needless to say, it’s not exactly easy for Thor to take this bad boy down.
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