Thor The Dark World
Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in "Thor: The Dark World" Marvel Studios

Marvel has just released the latest trailer for its hoped-for blockbuster “Thor: The Dark World,” and the result is an appropriately epic and ominous sequel for the Norse god of thunder.

Unlike in the first movie, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) won’t be facing off against his brother, the trickster god Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Instead, his antagonist will be Malekith the Accursed, the leader of a race of “dark elves” apparently bent on plunging the nine worlds back into darkness.

Malekith, portrayed by “Doctor Who” star Christopher Eccleston, doesn’t get much screentime in the new trailer, though a few shots of London in chaos build up a credible sense of menace for the character. Instead, fan-favorite Loki receives most of the trailer’s focus.

The past two times Loki has been onscreen (in the first “Thor” movie as well as last year’s “The Avengers”) Hiddleston has played the trickster god as an outright villain, but “Thor: The Dark World” seems to be shifting Thor and Loki into an uneasy alliance. The change of pace should be great for Hiddleston to flex his acting chops, and a more sympathetic Loki is bound to please plenty of the character’s fans. Of course, it’s also heavily foreshadowed that Loki will betray his brother, so don’t expect too much of the family dynamic to change.

"After all this time, now you come to visit me, brother. Why? To mock?” Loki asks at a pivotal moment in the trailer.

“I need your help. And I wish I could trust you,” Thor responds.

“If you did, you’d be the fool I always took you for,” Loki answers, likely setting up a sudden but inevitable betrayal late in the film’s third act.

Directed by “Game of Thrones” veteran Alan Taylor, “Thor: The Dark World” premieres Nov. 8 and stars Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman and Christopher Eccleston. Check out the latest trailer for “Thor: The Dark World” below.