With 'Thor: The Dark World' outperforming the first 'Thor' both domestically ($204 million vs. $181 million) and worldwide ($632 million vs. $449 million) a 'Thor 3' was all but inevitable. Now Marvel has confirmed it by hiring one of their own to write it.

Craig Kyle, Former Senior Vice President of Marvel's Production and Development, has been hired to write the screenplay for 'Thor 3' with Christopher Yost, according to The Wrap. Yost was one of the credited writers on 'Thor: The Dark World' (alongside Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, who worked from a story by Don Payne and Robert Rodat ), but both Yost and Kyle have spent time writing animated Marvel adventures like 'The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes' and 'Iron Man: Armored Adventures.'

Little is known about what will happen in 'Thor 3,' though it's not surprising this announcement follows on the heels of yesterday's word of a 'Captain America 3.'

[UPDATE: Hitfix is reporting that the end of 'Avengers 2' will lead directly into 'Thor 3,' which will follow a battle between Midgard and Asgard, launched by Loki, and the beginning of Ragnarok.

Both 'Thor' and 'Captain America' were released in 2011, and were big parts of Marvel's push to get to 'The Avengers' (though only 'Thor' has proved that its sequel works). We'd be surprised if Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Natalie Portman didn't return  - mostly because they're surely contractually obligated to do so - and we'd expect a third installment to arrive by 2017.

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