Asgard To Get A Grounded Makeover In 'THOR 2'

SlashFilm spoke to Chris Hemsworth about Thor 2 and Asgard might be getting a major facelift from Marvel/Taylor. One problem I had with Asgard is that it didn't look large/realistic enough. It was completely CGI and looked too small to have other kingdoms roaming behind the hills. Even a few of the sets (Odin's Vault) looked like apartment lobbies and beyond too contemporary for a fantasy film based on Norse mythology. From what I gather from this statement Marvel is aiming to make Asgard look a little less science fiction and more grounded fantasy. "Organic" and "Norse" gives me thoughts of large brick towers, rolling grassy hills, natural waterfalls, lush forests and more of a magical environment we attribute to the Lord of Rings franchise.

"I have read a script and we start shooting in August. I met with Alan Taylor a couple of months ago and Natalie Portman and I and Alan and a couple of Marvel guys and it was hugely exciting. Ken [Branagh] did such a wonderful job and, with scheduling or what have you, he didn’t end up doing this one, but I’m a big fan of the GAME OF THRONES series, which is Alan’s latest work, and I think that is what’s exciting about the second one: making it sort of more tangible and having a more organic feel to Asgard and that world. I think the science fiction element to THOR… the danger is it falls a little bit into the world of it’s “tough to throw a light to.” I think of big waterfalls and mountains and a Viking influence, where the Norse mythology kind of grew from. Having that in Asgard is going to make it all the more special and that’s what Alan wants to bring to it. I think that would be the new aspect to this one. "


I get the impression that Hemsworth and Marvel have been influenced by both fantasy projects Snow White And The Huntsman and Game of Thrones which have grounded sets in a large fantasy world. 
It's hard to argue that Alan Taylor is going to infuse a lot of gravitas to Thor 2 as it's new director. Taylor is best known for his television work that includes directing episodes of Game of Thrones, The Wire, Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire. One sure thing is that he can handle large casts giving while having a deeply serious brooding tone to his direction. His recent work on Game of Thrones is beyond impressive the first two episodes of season two helmed by Taylor have been the highest rated episodes so far. The greatest aspect is that he's been able to give the right amount of time to each character when there is so many characters in one series. Even more so this season where we get a new character in every scene. If anyone can expand Asgard and it's population it's going to be Taylor.