Marvel editor Joe Quesada talks 'Thor'

"Thor"  Photo:  Marvel Comics, (c) 2009  All Rights Reserved

Our friends at Comic Book Resources recently had a chance to talk to Joe Quesada, editor in chief at Marvel Comics, and needless to say, he was talking “Thor.” He didn’t spill anything too big about the next big Marvel feature film adaptation, which starts shooting January, but he did deliver a couple of interesting tidbits.

About the film's director, Kenneth Branagh, Quesada says:

Branagh is a joy to listen to talk story. There was a point during the discussion of the most recent draft of the screenplay where a particular plot point was put up to the group for discussion, "How should we play this one moment within the context of the story?" and Branagh and some in the group had a particular idea of how it should play, while some others felt differently. I was in the opposite camp, but as we discussed the differences, I'm sitting there listening to Branagh act out his version of the scene with gusto and passion and I had to stop him and say, ‘If you said to me right now, 'Then Thor kills 100 puppies in an animal shelter' I'd say it was fantastic.’ [Laughter] It's just magnificent hearing him talking about the story with the great love he has for the material. You don't see it quite often, but when you see it you've got to go with it.

About the enormous sets being designed and constructed for the movie:

[T]hey were pretty fantastical, and some of the locations are amazing. I will say this: I'm pretty sure this will redefine how we draw a Thor comic.

I will give you a funny aside. As we were looking at some of the models for the movie, there was one particular element that we were thinking would be a great prop to bring to next year's San Diego Comic-Con, ala this past year's Hall of Armor. However, the piece was so massive in size that it was actually too large for our usual given floor space at the con.

As to the role the big guns at Marvel Comics play when it comes to conferencing a big movie like “Thor,” Quesada had the following to say:

We're just additional idea guys and an extra set of eyes. We listen to the big ideas and story beats and play a little creative kick the can. In a lot of cases, guys like Kenneth and Kevin have been living with this screenplay for a while, so having someone with a visceral reaction who's reading and or seeing it in their minds' eye for the first time can sometimes give you a fresher perspective. Truth be told, that's what the Marvel Creative Committee is there for.

Bear in mind, audiences are more than a year from seeing the finished product on the big screen, but clearly this is going to be one to watch.