Alan Taylor says humour was critical to Thor: The Dark World.
Taylor has taken over the director's chair for the second stand alone Thor movie, which will be hitting the big screen next week.
And while Thor: The Dark World is darker than its predecessor, Taylor says it was vital to find the balance between darkness and humour.
Speaking at the press conference for the film Taylor said: "I felt my first task was to darken the world, and deepen it, and dirty it up a bit.
"And then as we got into the process, I thought, if we're going to darken it, deepen it and possibly kill off characters we love, we better be darn sure there's balance on the other side.
"The Avengers came out while we were starting it and Iron Man 3 came out while we were finishing it, so you were screwed if you don't also keep it funny and light on its feet. It's called The Dark World, but humour was critical on it."
Thor: The Dark World sees Chris Hemsworth return to the title role, while Tom Hiddleston and Natalie Portman are some of the other familiar faces that are returning.
Taylor returns to film with this movie after working in TV on projects like Game of Thrones and Bored to Death.
Thor: the Dark World is released 30th October.
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