I believe Marvel realizes how important bolstering the Thor franchise is to the entire MCU. Especially because it seems fans have gotten so accustomed to a certain level of quality of output from Marvel Studios and the bar has been raised so high that people are easily disappointed. For their film universe to continue to expand they really can't afford to disappoint. In this way, Marvel have become victims of their own success I guess.
I'm more of a glass half full kind of guy and enjoy all of their films. I haven't been disappointed yet. But you can see by the choices they make they are striving for the best possible quality. Alan Taylor was not invited back to make part 3 like Whedon, Gunn and the Russos. GOTG has stability that Thor doesn't presently have so yeah there's a lot of promise for the sequel. Yet at the same time GOTG could very well have been lightening in a bottle and repeating that success will be hard.
It's not like Captain America: The First Avenger's lukewarm reception prevented the sequel Winter Soldier from being a kick ass film. And that featured new unproven directors. It will be very interesting to see who Marvel chooses to helm the third Thor film. I think Ragnarok is going to deliver the goods.
Marvel is not going to just discard everything. They don't want to alienate the fans they already have. They just need to take it to a new level just like they said they would.
They need to stop holding Thor back though. It's time he really cuts loose. Showcase his abilities the way Winter Soldier did for Cap. Show his fighting prowess, his warrior's madness and his Godblast. Show him utilizing his powers of weather manipulation in battle and more flying. Let Thor battle an intelligent foe physically much larger than himself like Surtur, Mangog, Ymir, Fenris or Jormungand. And do not let him KO this enemy with one blow like he did with the Jotun beast and the Kronan. Give him a real challenge.
Give him a stronger character arc. Pull inspiration from the best Thor stories like Surtur Saga, Blood Brothers, Reigning, Ragnarok, For Asgard etc.
Less sci-fi and more fantasy. Merge Taylor and Branagh's approaches and crank it up a notch. I think after Dr. Strange hits theaters Marvel can start exploring more far our concepts. Introduce Hela as a concept - go beyond the idea of everything being technology. That's going to limit the potential of this franchise. Frigga's funeral scene hinted at more. Run with that.
Now that Frigga is dead, I'd really like to see them reveal Gaia as Thor's true mother, establishing Thor's connection to Midgard even further and adding depth and conflict to his relationship with his father. (Hopkins will be back. He mentioned coming back for Thor 3 while promoting Noah.)
Introduce the Valkyrie, Nidavellir and Alfheim - we need to see more of the Nine Realms. Reveal allies as well as enemies. Reveal Muspelheim. Open up the scope of the world Thor inhabits and possibly set up a climactic battle between races in the battle for supremacy in the wake of Loki's treachery. LOTR/Star Wars mashup style but not just swords and lasers. Something on the scope of Oeming's Ragnarok. Utilize beings with elemental attacks like the frost giants and fire demons and brutish power of creatures like Ulik and the trolls.
And for Od's sake give us more of Sif and the Warriors Three!
