Is Svartalfheim and the other Nine Realms what you expected them to look like?

[speno94]

This thread is about the look/design of the nine realms and if they are what you expected them to look like.

Because Thor has such a massive, vast mythology with different realms, the filmmakers and concept artists need to figure out a way to make each realm look different and exciting and even though we haven't seen The Dark World yet, to me it looks like they are doing a great job with the designs of the different realms.

To me, when I think of Svartalfheim, I think of it to be slightly woodland, maybe even gothic like this image from Svartalfheim in Norse mythology.



But looking at that image, some people may say it looks a little like Mirkwood from The Hobbit, so maybe the filmmakers tried to get away from that and made it look more rocky with mountains and was filmed in Iceland.



My only problem that I have with the look of Svartalfheim that they seem to be going for in this film is that it looks a little more like the realm Hel, than the realm of the Dark Elves because if I was to look at this image for the first time, not knowing what realm it is, I would say it looks like Hel.

Also I think the green screen is a bit obvious in some shots in the trailers like these images below because the sky looks a little fake to me unless that look is intentional...





But one realm I LOVE the look of is Vanaheim because it looks very Viking/Medieval and it makes sense it would look like that because Vanaheim is a less advanced sister race of Asgard.

[DarthSkywalker]

I think Svartalfheim is suppose to be wasteland, so they can pretty much get away with anything. Truthfully, none of the realms have really fit the world I'd imagine, save Earth of course.

I am not a fan of how vacant, unlivable they all seem to be.

[Rock Sexton]

The movie isn't out yet, so I couldn't tell ya.

[seahammer]

Good topic for a thread.



For the realms we've seen so far:
I love the look of Asgard. I really think they nailed the design in the first film, and this film is only improving on it by fleshing it out more.

Vanaheim looks good. I agree completely with speno's comment above.

Despite being a bit barren, I liked the look of Jotunheim. The idea of the ice sheets made it unique, I just wish it wasn't so dark/hard to see in the first film. Also, I love the concept art that I saw where the whole world was like a flat disc/ring:

This would have been even more unique, and it even matches the depiction of Jotunheim in the nine world's map above.

As for Svartalfheim, it has barely appeared in the comics so I don't really have a preconception going in. Since the idea is to show a barren, alien landscape that is juxtaposed against the lush world of Vanaheim and the cultured world of Asgard, I think they have a good design.

Oh, and I think it's cool that we're seeing Yggdrasil in this one!

[BigThor]

Originally Posted by Rock Sexton

The movie isn't out yet, so I couldn't tell ya.

My thoughts exactly

[jaqua99]

Originally Posted by seahammer

Good topic for a thread.



For the realms we've seen so far:
I love the look of Asgard. I really think they nailed the design in the first film, and this film is only improving on it by fleshing it out more.

Vanaheim looks good. I agree completely with speno's comment above.

Despite being a bit barren, I liked the look of Jotunheim. The idea of the ice sheets made it unique, I just wish it wasn't so dark/hard to see in the first film. Also, I love the concept art that I saw where the whole world was like a flat disc/ring:

This would have been even more unique, and it even matches the depiction of Jotunheim in the nine world's map above.

As for Svartalfheim, it has barely appeared in the comics so I don't really have a preconception going in. Since the idea is to show a barren, alien landscape that is juxtaposed against the lush world of Vanaheim and the cultured world of Asgard, I think they have a good design.

Oh, and I think it's cool that we're seeing Yggdrasil in this one!

wasn't Jotenheim a planet in the movie?

[Vartha]

Originally Posted by jaqua99

wasn't Jotenheim a planet in the movie?

Before Loki pointed the Bifrost at it, Jotunheim was like an Ice ball. it had a hollow center. Remember the Frost beast running upside down under Warriors 3 and Sif?

[jaqua99]

yeah, but things like that can occur on a planet, with weird physics and a thing that can grip a surface. Did it have a hollow center?

[Vartha]

Probably wasn't ALL hollow, but if it were an Ice planet I'm sure the Jotuns could make all kinds of caverns under ground instead of buildings over head seeing as they did have the Casket for probably Centuries before Odin got it.

[BigThor]

Originally Posted by speno94

My only problem that I have with the look of Svartalfheim that they seem to be going for in this film is that it looks a little more like the realm Hel, than the realm of the Dark Elves because if I was to look at this image for the first time, not knowing what realm it is, I would say it looks like Hel.

Also I think the green screen is a bit obvious in some shots in the trailers like these images below because the sky looks a little fake to me unless that look is intentional...

The CG sky in The Dark Elves world is to make it seem more fantasy clearly, it's not suppose to look like a "normal" sky.

[DarthSkywalker]

The sky looks like it is fallout.

[seahammer]

Originally Posted by jaqua99

wasn't Jotenheim a planet in the movie?

Yeah, it was a planet. I was talking about this when I said "ice sheets":

Originally Posted by Vartha

Before Loki pointed the Bifrost at it, Jotunheim was like an Ice ball. it had a hollow center. Remember the Frost beast running upside down under Warriors 3 and Sif?

Maybe in this film we will see the results of having been torn up a bit by the Bifrost. What do you guys think that would be like if we do?

[jaqua99]

I thought it was a planet, wasn't crazy over that in Thor 1 TBH

[ctsketch]

Well we know Mal and Thor battle on Jotunheim in Thor 2 so maybe we will get a better look

[speno94]

Originally Posted by jaqua99

I thought it was a planet, wasn't crazy over that in Thor 1 TBH

Yeah, I think Jotunheim could have looked a lot more unique than just looking like a 'planet'. I'm wondering what Svartalfheim looks like from the universe, but I hope it doesn't look like a simple planet like Jotun because I think they need to be more unique with their designs.

[speno94]

Originally Posted by ctsketch

Well we know Mal and Thor battle on Jotunheim in Thor 2 so maybe we will get a better look

Oh yeah, I forgot about that! I watched that TV Spot again with that shot of Thor and Malekith on Jotunheim with that beast from the first film.

I like the fact that they are using little things from the first film such as that beast because it makes it feel more like a 'sequel' to me with continuity.

Plus, I think Malekith on Jotunheim is a little Easter Egg for the fans because of the Casket of Ancient Winters

[seahammer]

Originally Posted by speno94

Oh yeah, I forgot about that! I watched that TV Spot again with that shot of Thor and Malekith on Jotunheim with that beast from the first film.

I like the fact that they are using little things from the first film such as that beast because it makes it feel more like a 'sequel' to me with continuity.

Agreed!

Plus, I think Malekith on Jotunheim is a little Easter Egg for the fans because of the Casket of Ancient Winters

Ha, I didn't think of that. Even if it was unintentional, I like this idea. Good connection.

[BigThor]

Originally Posted by speno94

Oh yeah, I forgot about that! I watched that TV Spot again with that shot of Thor and Malekith on Jotunheim with that beast from the first film.

I like the fact that they are using little things from the first film such as that beast because it makes it feel more like a 'sequel' to me with continuity.

Plus, I think Malekith on Jotunheim is a little Easter Egg for the fans because of the Casket of Ancient Winters

Agreed, cool stuff indeed

[Vartha]

Originally Posted by seahammer

Ha, I didn't think of that. Even if it was unintentional, I like this idea. Good connection.

Yeah thought of that with the one scene you see Thor and Mal on Jotunheim with the Frost Beast, but since we really don't know where the Casket IS, (fallen into the abyss, magically back in the vault via Odin ) since Loki's last use of it makes me wonder if Mal does have it after all.

Thinking the planets alined like Thor says every 5,000 years acts like Asgard's Bifrost but in shadow/dark energy and allows the Dark elves to travel easy from world to world too. and and so much an effort to use like it caused Odin just before Avengers to get Thor to Earth

[speno94]

I was just thinking... we know that we will see Asgard, Midgard, Svartalfheim, Vanaheim, Jotunheim again and Tom Hiddleston in an interview also said we will see Hel.

That is 6 of the 9 realms we will be seeing, but will we see ALL of the nine realms such as Alfheim (Light Elves), Muspelheim (Fire Demons) and Nidavellir (Dwarves) because a while back a report by the Russian site Kinopoisk, which was in attendance during Marvel’s presentation at Russia’s Annual Cinema Expo back in 2012 said this:

“At the presentation, we were presented concept art from which it was possible to understand the scenery of the film will fill the space. The film promises to cover not only the Earth and Asgard, but also all the nine worlds. The studio hopes that the director Alan Taylor, who has experience creating fantasy series, perfectly cope with the task of building the mythical world in the newmovie about the god with the hammer.”

I hope this is true because it would make the film feel more epic, but I hope the film is at least 2 hours 20 mins to fit all these elements in and do them properly because the first Thor film wasn't even 2 hours.

[speno94]

Also, regarding Jotunheim, I would really like it if Ymir was the new ruler of both Jotunheim and Niffleheim after Laufey's death and maybe Ymir rebuilt Jotun after Loki destroyed some of it with the Bifrost.

We don't have to see him, but it would be great for the fans mentioning him in the film, plus it would make sense for the narrative because I would like to find out what happened to Jotun after the first film and it looks like we will.

[Bren]

I think it's reasonably safe to assume Thor 3 if made would have Surtur as the big bad, but I like that idea of Ymir taking over.... I always had this idea that Ymir was the previous Jotun king who retired... Now comes back to take back rulership and avenge the attack on Jotunheim. Maybe allying with Surtur even...

Imagine an alliance between frost giants and fire demons hehehe

On topic, I love what I'm seeing of Svartalfheim , especially the pic with the tower (or is a landed craft?). Dark Elves hopefully going to be nice and creepy too.

[speno94]

Originally Posted by Bren

I like that idea of Ymir taking over.... I always had this idea that Ymir was the previous Jotun king who retired... Now comes back to take back rulership and avenge the attack on Jotunheim.

Exactly! That's what I thought because in the comics I think Ymir is the oldest and the first Frost/Ice Giant and Laufey and the other giants are descendants of Ymir.

I like the idea that he retired or he was the leader of Niffleheim until Laufey died and wants to avenge the attack on Jotunheim and I can definitely see him teaming up with Surtur in the third film because third films in a trilogy usually go back to thematic/story threads from the first film such as Dark Knight Rises (League of Shadows, Ra's Al Ghul etc) and Iron Man 3 (Mandarin, The Ten Rings whatever you think about how they handled it).

[speno94]

Originally Posted by speno94

I was just thinking... we know that we will see Asgard, Midgard, Svartalfheim, Vanaheim, Jotunheim again and Tom Hiddleston in an interview also said we will see Hel.

Here is the interview I was talking about where Tom Hiddleston was talking about the nine realms and quickly mentioned that Hel is one we will see.

The interview is from AMC back at Comic Con 2013 and he starts talking about the nine realms at 1:50

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27j_6NdFaB0

[Morbius]

Asgard for me was very confusing to actually get my head around in Thor - are we to understand it's naturally flat, or was it constructed by the Asgardians?

In the comics, it can be whatever it wants to be, but we've established that the Asgardians are aliens in the CBMverse and their powers are not understood to literally be 'magic'.