Just this past week I went to see both Thor and X-Men: First Class.

And then I went back to see Thor again, because hello? Tom Hiddleston.

Make no mistake about it: the summer of superheros has begun.

Thor is a an epic: large in scale, bold in vision and very, very shiny. And it really would be all too easy to go over-the-top with this material, which is what had me quite skeptical about Thor in the beginning. The man wears a cape, carries a giant hammer and can fly. But the film manages to incorporate elements of the source material into the film without once looking like a cartoon. The “rainbow bridge” becomes an Einstein-Rosen Bridge, which is significantly less cheesy, with the added benefit of being scientifically awesome. The city of Asgard itself, floating in space under a canopy of nebulas, is absolutely gorgeous. Jotunheim is a dark and chilling realm, and silly name aside, the Frost Giants are still pretty cool looking. There’s even a brief appearance by Sleipnir that manages not to derail the entire scene with “Hey, look! An eight-legged horse.”

Under the guidance of a more action-centric director, this could easily have become another smash-tastic, explosion-filled summer flick, but I must give credit to Kenneth Branagh‘s moderate hand. For while the film manages to convey all of the scale of Asgard and the Nine Realms, it never once loses the characters within this massive universe. Branagh’s Shakespearean background no doubt helped him to understand that it’s both the romance and the simmering family drama that defines this story. Everything else is just the gilding.

The movie is well-cast. Chris Hemsworth plays a Thor that is more than just handsome and physically imposing but sweet, too (and perhaps ever-so-slightly dense). Natalie Portman is adorable, as ever, and Stellan Skarsgård is awesome, as ever, and it’s nice to the role of someone from Norway being played by someone who is actually from Norway. Crazy, right? And while playing a pagan deity can really lend itself to overacting (as Liam Neeson could tell you), Anthony Hopkins brings a healthy amount of restraint to the role, revealing Odin as a father more than just a god. But the real breakthrough here is Tom Hiddleston, who plays Loki with the perfect mix of jealousy, hubris, madness and pathos. He is really quite captivating.

Thor (and Loki) will be returning in The Avengers, and there are a few nods here and there to fellow Avengers Hawkeye, Iron Man, and Bruce Banner. The Avengers won’t be released until next May. I’m counting down already…

X-Men: First Class takes a step back from the grand scale of Thor and gives us a rich historical drama that is the predecessor to every other film in the franchise. Set in the early 1960′s, First Class gives us Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr before they were Professor X and Magneto, archenemies extraordinaire. Back when they were friends trying to help fellow mutants find their way in society, trusting each other implicitly while never quite seeing eye-to-eye on the matter. Compared with Thor, First Class is absolutely not a film for children. It’s darker, edgier, and significantly more violent. But like Thor, the significant mythology of the story never manages to overtake the characters.

This is an origin story, not only of a hero, but of a villain. Since we know how it will ultimately end, we’re not so much interested in where they end up, but how it is they got there. James McAvoy plays an excellent young Xavier, but as Erik, Michael Fassbender steals this film. Every scene he was in was absolutely riveting. In fact, had the film been an hour longer and contained only Charles and Erik, I would still have enjoyed every moment of it. Still, the supporting cast is strong, and the 60′s era sets and costumes are just wonderful. FOX has said they envision this film as the first part of a trilogy, and I am more than okay with that. Until then, I will definitely be seeing this for a second time, and probably a third as well.

Because I can never have too much Marvel in my life.

Did you know? In addition to being films based on characters in the Marvel universe, both Thor and X-Men: First Class were penned by the same writing team.