‘Thor: The Dark World’ Star Kat Dennings Talks Darcy’s Future, Stalking Joss Whedon, and Her Own Disney Ride

Yes, “Thor: The Dark World” is the kind of giant-sized spectacle you normally expect from the good folks at Marvel and Disney: there are giant spaceships, floating gondolas, a huge monster rampaging around modern-day London, and a celestial goo that has the power to wipe out entire worlds. But, for my money, the best moment in the whole movie is when Darcy, a flustered intern played by Kat Dennings, looks at Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and says, “How’s space?” And he looks down at her and says, “Space is good.”

One of the great surprises of “Thor: The Dark World,” in fact, is how much Darcy features in the action, and how many great moments she gets to share, with not only her boss lady Jane (Natalie Portman) but Thor and even her very own intern.

We got to talk to Dennings about whether or not she was surprised by being brought back, that time she stalked Joss Whedon, and what kind of Disney ride she would like to see Darcy star in.

Moviefone: Were you surprised to be brought back?
Kat Dennings: I’m always surprised whenever anything good happens to me… so yes. I was hoping but I didn’t know. I didn’t know I was in the sequel until right before I got the script. People kept asking me if I knew and I honestly didn’t know. And then when I did know, I couldn’t tell anybody. I had to keep it in. But I was super excited.

Was there anything you wanted to do in this one that you didn’t get to do?
If Darcy does get brought back for future movies, I would love to see her brought to Asgard, because there is unlimited comedy potential. But Darcy has so much fun stuff to do in this movie and so much to say. I remember when I read the script, it’s so epic but I would have bursts of hilarity with Darcy’s lines. They really gave me fantastic dialogue.

That’s the thing; not only are you back but your role is expanded.
Yeah, definitely. I didn’t think I would even be in the first movie. I thought they were going to cut me, because I’m not necessary. I was almost hesitant to tell any that I was in it because I felt like if they needed to cut something, they’d just cut Darcy, because she doesn’t have anything to do anything. But they left everything in the first movie and I think fans of the first movie really like her and she serves a great role. So I was shocked and excited about all the great stuff I get to do.

Some of your dialogue felt like Joss had something to do with it?
He just might… Actually, I don’t know. He was around sometimes. Sometimes I would just see him in a raincoat just standing to the side and I’d think, Oh, that’s Joss Whedon. But I didn’t go up to him because I didn’t know if he was busy and I’m just not good at that. One day I’ll go up to him and say, “Hey, I saw you in a raincoat one time.”

Yeah, that’s not menacing at all.
Yeah, it’s not weird. “Hey, I saw you doing something private that I wasn’t involved in at all. But hey what’s up?”

You get to be the movie’s central form of comic relief. That’s kind of a lot to have on your shoulders, especially with a movie like this.
Oh yeah, especially having seen the finished movie, there’s a lot of emotional darkness, and a lot of scary and amazing things happen. So Darcy is very needed and I think that lightness is really needed. It’s really fun to be that and now, the second time around… The first time around I was like, well, I’ll just do what I do and if I get cut? Hey! But now, that I didn’t get cut, I’m back, so Darcy is important now. It wasn’t pressure but I knew how important it was. So I really tried to do my best.

Now that you are so invested, are you like, “Well, Darcy could find her way into ‘Captain America.'”
I mean, I secretly hope that Darcy is in all the other things. I don’t know. I’m just grateful that I’m involved. I’m a fan of Marvel movies and it was an acting slash life goal to be in one. And now I’ve been in two. So I’m not about to start asking things. I’m very grateful to be where I am.

Did you read comic books growing up?
Yeah, my brother Jeffrey, who is seven years older than me, was a big comic-book fan, and I idolized him and did whatever he did. And it was through him that I learned about Thor. And when this happened, he was just beside himself. I brought him to Santa Fe with me. He was walking around the town losing his mind.

There are a lot of things in this movie that just aren’t there on the day. Did anything surprise you when you saw the finished movie?
Yes! A lot of things that I read on the page, it’s hard to really imagine. But when I saw the dark elves and all of the worlds, I was so impressed. And mostly it’s the effects that weren’t there when we were shooting. “Oh, that’s what that is, that’s what that crash was — it’s a giant alien.” So it’s nice to see everything put together. And I knew the effects took a long time; the 3D too — there’s nothing like seeing yourself jump out at you.

I imagine that’s got to be weird.
It’s crazy. It’s crazy. [Laughs] I can reach out and touch my face.

Do you have an action figure?
I have a LEGO, I just found out. It’s a pretty big deal, I’m not going to lie. I think she’s a Minimate. I have shown everybody I know. And my nieces and nephews are young, so they’re all going to get me for Hanukkah. They’ll get little Aunt Katies.

Has Kevin teased you at all about where you’ll go?
No. People tease me about “Avengers” and stuff, but I know too much to take things seriously. I don’t know. But I’d be over the moon.

I could see Darcy popping up on “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”
Hey, whatever Marvel wants me to do. I haven’t seen it yet, but I hear it’s really cool.

Considering Disney owns Marvel, could you imagine yourself popping up in a theme park ride?
Oh, god. I haven’t even thought of that before. Could you imagine? Darcy’s boring car ride to Staples.

Hey, I’d go on it.
That’s really dreaming big!

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