Looks like Joe Quesada isn't the only lucky comic book professional to witness director Kenneth Branagh's "Thor" reenactments -- Brian Michael Bendis, writer of Marvel's many "Avengers" titles, has enjoyed such an occasion as well.
"[It] was Shakespearean, with flourishes," Bendis told Newsarama of Kenneth Branagh's "Thor" performance. "It was cool. It was a lot of fun. My wife goes, okay, that one I'm jealous of. She's got a crush on him. And honestly, he's not a let-down. I can see it. I can understand it. You're spending enough time with someone that you know if they're cool. And he's cool."
The writer also spoke at length abut his current involvement with Marvel Studios. According to Bendis, he's part of a group of comic writers that consults with Marvel Studios' screenwriters and filmmakers, making sure that the characters stay true in their translation from page to reel.
"[This] is a little different than how Hollywood usually does it, which is a compliment to [Marvel Studios chief] Kevin [Feige]," said the writer. "Usually, Hollywood just does what it does. I know there are some comic book movies I hear that the people never even read a comic book based on the thing they're working on.
"They've asked me to be part of the team of guys who pick their brains and take their advice," Bendis continued. "And for me it's great to watch these writers deal with it and handle it. Watching them is a lot of fun."
Don't expect the "Secret Invasion" writer to clear out of the comics scene for Hollywood anytime soon, despite the praise he has for Marvel's filmmaking process. Still, there's at least one other project aside from "Thor" that has Bendis in total geek mode.
"The 'Iron Man 2' script is so good," he revealed. "I've had to read it 30 times now."
Jealous of Bendis' Hollywood gig? We are, too. Commiserate with us in the comments section!