Thor was one of the first movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and really set the tone for Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the visual style of the movie was extremely distinctive, relying heavily on canted angles (or Dutch angles) throughout.
These are shots where the camera is slanted to create diagonal lines on screen, rather than more traditional vertical and horizontal lines. If you revisit the movie, you'll realize that Thor is absolutely full of these moments.
However, it seems like not everyone at Marvel Studios was on board with this filmmaking choice. Speaking to the On Film…With Kevin McCarthy podcast, Branagh revealed: "I know there was a conversation at some point in some part of the Marvel universe where they had a conversation about, 'What would it cost to horizontalize this movie?' And I am glad to say that the cash price for that process was so prohibitive."
Branagh went on to justify the filming choice, saying it was inspired by the classic comic book runs of Thor. "It was just more about visual impact," he explained. "It was just what would hit you in a world, in a story about gods." The actor and director added: "I felt as though there was a reason for everything, and it was also the way you could put yourself behind it."
Thor will return soon in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, where he'll reunite with the classic Avengers as well as the Fantastic Four and the New Avengers to face Doctor Doom. As teased in the trailers, we'll see the God of Thunder face off against the new foe on the battlefield, with some catastrophic consequences.
Meanwhile, Branagh is starring opposite Ryan Reynolds in action comedy Mayday for Apple TV. The directors recently told us how their Top Gun homage in the film even got the thumbs-up from Tom Cruise himself.
If you're planning to rewatch Thor, here's our guide to watching the Marvel movies in order.
