The Marvel Cinematic Universe took a few pages from Norse mythology to illustrate the relationship between Thor and his unruly half-brother, Loki. Though they were as friendly as Norse gods could be, they clearly shared a tense rivalry – even if Loki redeemed himself towards the end. That’s the Thor from the MCU, though. If Loki had faced the God of Thunder from Zack Snyder’s Twilight of the Gods, he’d probably end up dead.
Zack Snyder’s Twilight of the Gods
Zack Snyder’s Twilight of the Gods tells an original story set in the world of Norse mythology, featuring a cast of deities we’ve all seen before – they are, however, “Snyderized” versions of the Norse gods. That means they are bigger, stronger, and with even more pent-up anger than described in most books about Norse folklore.
The animated series gives us the rawest vision of Norse mythology since 2018’s God of War, with gods and other divine beings at open war with humanity. It sounds like a one-sided battle, but there’s more to this story than it seems.
Thor’s Fury
Among the pantheon of deities in Twilight of the Gods, Thor emerges as a belligerent and cruel god driven by a desire for violence and conquest. This bloodthirsty nature leads him on his crusade against the giants, which eventually sets him on the warpath of Twilight of the Gods‘ heroine, Sigrid.
Though most modern depictions of Thor paint him as a powerful but just warrior, Snyder went with a more confrontational depiction of the God of Thunder. Even among the other Aesir, Thor is particularly relentless and unforgiving. Killing most of the Jötunn didn’t sit well with Loki, however, who sees in Sigrid a chance to eliminate his bloodthirsty half-brother.
It’s great that Loki is such a cunning mastermind – because he’d be pulverized in a confrontation with Snyder’s Thor. There’s nothing of the tense rivalry we saw in the MCU in Zack Snyder‘s vision of Norse mythology: these versions of Loki and Thor are enemies through and through.
The Norse Snyderverse
If Twilight of the Gods proves one thing, it’s that Zack Snyder is even better at directing animated stories than live-action ones. Snyder has always been a controversial filmmaker, but he shines exceptionally well in this animated epic that reminded me of all the best parts of Samurai Jack and Primal.
Snyder evokes the brutality of the Norse pantheon in all its glory, featuring breathtaking action scenes that could only be achieved in an animated medium. Rebel Moon might not live up to the hype for some fans, but Twilight of the Gods sure does.
If anything, the series is a great first step for Zack Snyder as an animation director. Twilight of the Gods‘ first and final episodes – both directed by Snyder – are some of the best in the show’s run. It’s a reminder of why the Watchmen cut with Tales of the Black Freighter is even better than the original – Snyder’s style was made for animation.
Now that we’ve seen what Snyder can do with Norse mythology, we can only imagine what could be if Netflix gives him free rein over his next animated project. After all, we haven’t seen Snyder tackle Greek mythology in a while – and 300 is practically begging for an animated reimagining, isn’t it?
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What are your thoughts on Zack Snyder’s Twilight of the Gods? Let us know in the comments below.
Twilight of the Gods |
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Animated series inspired by Norse Mythology. The Twilight of the Gods refers events that led to the destruction of Midgard and Asgard, then the death of most of the Æsir and Vanir gods in an ultimate battle against evil, the forces of nature and the Giants. |
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| Creator: Zack Snyder |
| Cast: Sylvia Hoeks, Stuart Martin, Rahul Kohli, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Paterson Joseph, Jamie Clayton, Peter Stormare, Pilou Asbæk |
| Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy |
| Number of Seasons: 1 |
| Streaming Service: Netflix |
