Natalie Portman as Jane Foster and Chris Hemsworth as Thor in Thor: The Dark WorldNatalie Portman as Jane Foster and Chris Hemsworth as Thor in Thor: The Dark World

Thor has had a pretty rough couple of years, what with battling his adoptive brother Loki and other enemies in The Avengers, but he's dusted himself down and is back for more. In Thor: The Dark World, the hammer wielding hero returns to Earth to reunite with his beloved Jane Foster, played here by Natalie Portman, and whisks her back to his home in Asgard.
 
Watch the Thor: The Dark World trailer here!

Of course, living happily ever after would be too easy (and a little boring) and Thor unfortunately brings Jane back to terrible danger. A dark race led by the ruthless Malekith plans to plunge the entire universe into oblivion, leaving Thor to confront his imprisoned brother for help. The new movie is the sequel to Kenneth Branagh's 2011 movie and is set some time after Joss Whedon's The Avengers. Based on the comic books of Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, Thor 2 is helmed by a new director in Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones, Mad Men) though is penne d by returning screenwriter Don Payne (Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer) alongside Christopher Yost  (The Avengers) and Stephen McFeely (The Chronicles of Narnia).

The trailer doesn't give too much away, though many of the visuals look stunning. The Thor-Loki team-up also looks as though it could play out perfectly.

Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman star alongside a supporting cast that includes Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings, Christopher Eccleston, Zachary Levi, Idris Elba, Chris O'Dowd, Rene Russo and Tom Hiddleston.

It hits cinemas in the UK on October 30, 2013. It gets a U.S. release on November 8. 

Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Anthony Hopkins as Odin in Thor: The Dark World
Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Anthony Hopkins as Odin in Thor: The Dark World

Chris Hemsworth as Thor in Thor: The Dark World
Chris Hemsworth as Thor in Thor: The Dark World