Another Marvel director departs for adventures unknown.  According to Deadline, Kenneth Branagh won’t be returning to the director’s chair for Thor 2.   He may stay on in a producer capacity, though, and the official story is that the split was “amicable and mutual.”

It’s a shame (and a troubling post-Disney sign) that Marvel isn’t holding onto their directors for more than one or two installments.    Thor had a few issues, but I thought they had more to do with Marvel’s need to world build with SHIELD and Hawkeye than Branagh’s direction. I thought he brought a good deal of the right amount of bombast in.    (ETA:  Sources tell me that Branagh just wanted to do a smaller film after the long haul of Thor. More power to him.)

But, there’s also something to be said for switching up the talent.  The best and brightest Marvel storylines come along when someone else tackles the character.  Hopefully,  the Marvel movies show the same kind of growth.

Thor 2 does have a release date though: July 26, 2013.  Chris Hemsworth, not surprisingly, will be reprising the hammer wielding god. Don Payne is also returning to write the script.