When an ancient enemy born of darkness returns to plunge the universe back into eternal night, Thor must embark on his most perilous journey yet. With the Aether—a weapon of infinite destruction—threatening the life of Jane Foster and the stability of the Nine Realms, the God of Thunder is forced to sacrifice everything and form an uneasy alliance with his treacherous brother, Loki, to stop the vengeful Malekith before it's too late.
Information |
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Language |
English |
Country |
United States |
Premiere date |
November 8, 2013 |
Running time |
112 minutes |
Genre |
Action Adventure Fantasy |
Budget |
$170,000,000 |
Box Office |
$644,783,140 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
Alan Taylor |
Produced by |
Kevin Feige |
Written by |
Christopher L. Yost Christopher Markus Stephen McFeely |
Music by |
Brian Tyler |
Cinematography |
Kramer Morgenthau |
Edited by |
Dan Lebental Wyatt Smith |
Production Co. |
Marvel Studios |
Distributed by |
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
Top Cast |
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Official Trailer |
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Movie Collection |
Movie Order: #02 in Thor Collection
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The Plot
The Ancient War
Five thousand years ago, a cosmic event of cataclysmic proportions known as the Convergence occurred, aligning the Nine Realms and opening portals between them. Taking advantage of this alignment, the Dark Elves, a sinister race born of eternal night, attempted to unleash the Aether, a fluid force of infinite destruction capable of plunging the universe back into total darkness. The exact origin of the Aether remains a mystery, though it is identified as one of six singularities that predate the universe itself. Malekith, the cruel leader of the Dark Elves, sought to use the Aether to destroy the Nine Realms and reforge them in his own dark image.
However, his ambitions were thwarted by Bor, the then-king of Asgard and father of Odin. Leading the Asgardian armies, Bor waged a bloody war against the Dark Elves. Just as Malekith attempted to release the Aether, Bor utilized the power of the Bifrost to rip the substance from the elf's grasp, robbing the enemy of their most potent weapon. Realizing the battle was lost, Malekith, his loyal lieutenant Algrim, and a handful of survivors retreated to their massive Ark ships. They sacrificed their own people on the battlefield to ensure their escape, fleeing into deep space to enter suspended animation, vowing to return when the Aether was rediscovered. Unable to destroy the Aether, Bor ordered it sealed away deep within a stone column in a pocket dimension where no one would ever find it.
The Price of Order
In 2012, following the failed Chitauri Invasion of Earth, Loki is brought before the Asgardian throne in shackles. Odin, disappointed and weary, sentences his adopted son to life imprisonment in the dungeons for his crimes against humanity, sparing his life only for Frigga's sake. Odin coldly promises that Thor will eventually take the throne once he has repaired the chaos Loki unleashed across the realms.
A year later, the Marauders—a ragtag group of intergalactic pirates—have been terrorizing the Nine Realms. On Vanaheim, the home of the Vanir, Thor leads the Warriors Three (Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun) and Lady Sif in a decisive battle to quell the insurrection. With a single blow of Mjølnir, Thor shatters the greatest of the Marauders, a rock giant, ending the conflict. While Hogun remains behind to help his people rebuild, Thor and the others return to Asgard via the Bifrost Bridge, now fully repaired by the power of the Tesseract. Despite a grand celebration held in his honor, Thor’s heart is elsewhere. He visits Heimdall daily, inquiring about Jane Foster. Odin warns his son against this affection, reminding Thor that human lives are fleeting and she will be dead long before him.
The Aether Awakens
In London, astrophysicist Jane Foster is trying to move on. Having not heard from Thor in two years, she attempts a date with a man named Richard Madison. The date is abruptly interrupted by Darcy Lewis, who drags Jane away with news that her scientific equipment has detected strange anomalies similar to the events in New Mexico. Alongside Darcy’s intern, Ian Boothby, they drive to an abandoned industrial warehouse where the readings are strongest.
Inside, the laws of physics are breaking down due to the approaching Convergence. Gravity shifts randomly, and invisible portals to other worlds have opened. While Darcy and Ian experiment by throwing objects through the portals, Jane wanders off, drawn by a mysterious signal. She is inadvertently sucked into a portal that transports her to the hidden location where the Aether was buried. Upon touching the monolith, the red, fluid-like substance lashes out, flowing into her body and infesting her. She passes out, and the Aether bonds with her life force. Five hours later, she wakes up back at the factory on Earth. When the police arrive to investigate the trespassing, an officer attempts to grab Jane's arm, but a violent pulse of red energy erupts from her, knocking him back.
Sanctuary in Asgard
Thor, alerted by Heimdall that Jane had temporarily vanished from his all-seeing gaze, arrives on Earth instantly. He is overjoyed to see her, though the reunion is tense; Jane slaps him for leaving her alone for two years while he was arguably on the same planet during the Battle of New York. Thor apologizes, explaining his duties to the Nine Realms. When he tries to inquire about her well-being, the Aether reacts again, its energy surging defensively. Realizing this power is beyond mortal comprehension, Thor clutches Jane and flies her directly to Asgard via the Bifrost.
In Asgard, Jane is placed in the healing chambers. The soul forge, a quantum field generator, reveals the molecular infection, but the Asgardian healers, including the physician Eir, are baffled. Odin arrives, initially demanding the human be returned to Earth, but when a guard attempts to touch her, the Aether flares again. Recognizing the substance, Odin consults the Book of Yggdrasil and explains to Jane the history of Malekith and the weapon growing inside her. He reveals that the infection is parasitic and will likely kill her. Frigga takes Jane under her wing, offering her protection and friendship, while secretly trying to reach out to an unrepentant Loki in the dungeons.
The Dark Elves Strike
Deep in space, the awakening of the Aether signals Malekith. He and his followers rise from their millennia-long sleep, consumed by vengeance. To infiltrate Asgard's defenses, Algrim disguises himself as a Marauder prisoner. Once inside the Asgardian dungeons, he crushes a Kursed Stone in his hand, transforming into Kurse—a monstrous, burning warrior with strength surpassing even Thor's. Kurse breaks out, freeing the prisoners to cause a riot, though he notably ignores Loki. This distraction allows Malekith's flagship to bypass Heimdall and breach the palace.
As Asgard falls into chaos, Heimdall manages to down one of the Dark Elf ships, but the invasion force lands. Malekith storms the royal wing in search of the Aether. Frigga, anticipating this, hides Jane and confronts Malekith alone. Using her mastery of illusion, she tricks Malekith into believing he has captured Jane, only to reveal it as a hologram. Frigga holds her own against the Dark Elf leader, but Kurse arrives, overpowering her. When she refuses to reveal Jane's true location, Kurse stabs her through the heart. Thor bursts into the room a moment too late; enraged, he blasts Malekith’s face with lightning, scarring him permanently. The Dark Elves, having lost the element of surprise, retreat to their ships and escape, leaving Frigga dead.
Treason and Escape
Following a somber funeral for Frigga and the fallen soldiers, Asgard is draped in mourning. Odin, blinded by grief and rage, locks down the Bifrost and prepares for a war of attrition, intending to fight Malekith to the last man. He orders Jane confined, willing to keep her on Asgard even if the Aether kills her. Thor realizes this strategy is doomed; Malekith will return and destroy Asgard to get the weapon. Thor proposes a treasonous plan: take Jane to the Dark World, Svartalfheim, to lure Malekith away from Asgard and destroy the Aether when it is extracted.
Thor enlists his allies for the heist. Heimdall commits treason by distracting Odin, while Sif retrieves Jane from confinement. Volstagg and Fandral hold off the Einherjar guards, allowing Thor to break Loki out of prison. Thor needs Loki because the God of Mischief knows the secret pathways between worlds that do not require the Bifrost. Tensions are high; Thor threatens to kill Loki if he betrays them, but Loki agrees, driven by a desire to avenge his mother. They hijack a crashed Dark Elf Harrow ship, initiating a high-speed chase through the Asgardian mountains before Loki guides them through a hidden fissure in the sky, transporting them instantly to Svartalfheim.
Deception on Svartalfheim
On the desolate, ash-covered wasteland of Svartalfheim, the group lands. Jane is fading fast, her body consumed by the Aether's power. Malekith senses the weapon's proximity and descends with his ship. As the Dark Elves approach, Thor and Loki appear to argue. In a shocking turn, Loki stabs Thor, kicks him down a hill, and severs Thor's right hand. He then drags Jane to Malekith, offering her in exchange for a front-row seat to watch Asgard burn.
Malekith accepts the deal. He uses his magic to draw the Aether out of Jane, lifting her into the air as the red sludge separates from her body and coalesces. However, just as the extraction is complete, the betrayal is revealed to be a ruse. Thor's severed hand was an illusion cast by Loki. "Now!" Loki screams, dropping the disguise. Thor summons Mjølnir and blasts the exposed Aether with lightning, attempting to shatter it before Malekith can absorb it. The Aether explodes into crystal shards, but the victory is short-lived. The shards reform, indestructible, and Malekith absorbs the substance into himself, finally becoming whole.
A Brother's Sacrifice
Malekith boards his ship to leave for Earth, the center of the Convergence, leaving Kurse to finish off the Asgardians. Thor battles the monstrous Kurse but is hopelessly outmatched; the creature deflects Mjølnir with a slap and beats Thor into the ground. Loki intervenes, driving a sword through Kurse’s chest, but the monster pulls the blade out unscathed and pulls Loki into a bear hug, impaling him on the same blade.
With his last ounce of strength, Loki activates a Black Hole Grenade on Kurse’s belt. The device detonates, imploding Kurse into nothingness. Thor rushes to his fallen brother. Loki, pale and dying, apologizes for his crimes. "I didn't do it for him," he whispers, referring to Odin, before going still. Thor and Jane mourn him briefly but are forced to move. They discover a cave where the scientific anomaly is active; Jane's phone gets a signal, and they stumble upon a portal that transports them back to London. Meanwhile, a lone Asgardian guard discovers Loki’s body in the wasteland.
The Convergence at Greenwich
Back on Earth, Darcy and Ian have discovered Erik Selvig's whereabouts via a news report showing him running nude around Stonehenge, ranting about portals. They break him out of a mental institution, where Selvig explains his mind is still fractured from Loki’s mind control, but he has had an epiphany about the Convergence. He has developed gravimetric spikes designed to interpret and manipulate the anomalies. They reunite with Thor and Jane in London.
Selvig determines that the Convergence will reach its peak at Greenwich. Malekith plans to release the Aether through the aligned portals there, infecting all Nine Realms simultaneously. The group arrives at Greenwich just as the worlds begin to align. A massive Dark Elf ship descends, and Malekith steps out, empowered by the Aether. Thor engages him in a chaotic battle. As they fight, the shifting physics of the Convergence cause them to fall through portals, brawling across Svartalfheim, Jotunheim, and London in rapid succession. Meanwhile, Darcy and Ian struggle against Dark Elf soldiers, and Selvig rushes to plant his spikes.
Defying the Darkness
Thor and Malekith are separated, and Malekith begins unleashing the Aether, growing to a titanic size as the red storm spreads across the portals above. Thor rallies with his human friends. He realizes he cannot kill Malekith with raw power alone. He grabs the remote for Selvig's gravimetric spikes and charges Malekith.
Thor plunges the spikes into Malekith’s shoulders and chest. Jane, operating the control device, activates them. The spikes manipulate the spatial anomalies, teleporting Malekith's arms and legs to different realms, dismantling him piece by piece. Finally, Jane teleports the rest of his body back to Svartalfheim. However, the massive Dark Elf ship, damaged in the fight, begins to fall, threatening to crush them all. At the last second, Selvig teleports the Ark directly to Svartalfheim. It crashes down upon the crippled Malekith, killing him instantly. The Convergence passes, the portals close, and the realms are safe.
The False King
Some time later, Thor returns to Asgard to report to Odin. The Allfather congratulates him on the victory and offers him the throne, admitting that Thor has proven himself worthy. Thor, however, respectfully declines. He admits that he cannot be the King Odin wants him to be and that he desires a life with Jane on Earth, believing he can better protect the realms as a free warrior than from a throne. He offers Mjølnir to Odin, but Odin tells him to keep it.
As Thor walks away, he thanks Odin for not putting Loki in a cell. Once Thor leaves the hall, Odin’s form shimmers and dissolves, revealing Loki sitting on the throne, alive and well. He smiles sinisterly, having successfully usurped the crown and faked his death.
Infinity Stones
In a mid-credits scene, the Asgardian warriors Volstagg and Sif travel to the museum of Taneleer Tivan, known as The Collector. They present him with the Aether, now contained within a secure vessel. Tivan asks why they do not keep it in Asgard's vault. Volstagg explains that the Tesseract is already on Asgard, and it is unwise to keep two Infinity Stones in such close proximity. Tivan accepts the gift with a bow. As the Asgardians leave, Tivan gazes at the Aether and mutters ominously, "One down, five to go."
In a post-credits scene, Thor returns to Earth and passionately reunites with Jane Foster. Meanwhile, in the background of London, a Jotunheim Frost Beast, accidentally transported during the final battle, is seen happily chasing a flock of birds.
