The Heat Vision Blog has some intriguing news about Kenneth Branagh’s big screen adaptation of Marvel Comics Thor, both on the casting and story front. Word has come down that Sir Anthony Hopkins is in negotiations to play Odin, the chief god of Asgard and the father of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston). The film sees Thor banished to Earth, forced to live among humanity. However, when evil forces from Asgard threaten his new home Thor attempts to redeem himself. Ah, the good old cast-down-god-seeks-redemption story, don’t see that very often.
Hopkins joins a great cast that includes Colm Feore, Natalie Portman and allegedly Robert De Niro and Jude Law. With Branagh at the helm and a cast like that, the film is shaping up to be one of the most interesting Marvel projects to date. Thor is certainly heavy on acting talent, hopefully Branagh can match that with a solid story and great action. Only time will tell, Thor is due in theatres May 20th 2011.
This would all be great if only Thor was about Thor and not the superhero Thor – which I think is the surest sign Hollywood is running out of quality superheroes to make movies about.
I mean, it’s cool how they’re planning to fit all these superheroes together into one eventual movie, but if this movie does well it will be on the back of a) it’s acting talent, and b) mythology, not it’s strength as the latest superhero movie. No one outside the comic world knows who Thor is. People have heard of Spider-Man. I guess it doesn’t matter if the trailer looks good, though.
Personally, I’d rather see a straight Nordic mythology flick, but maybe this is the most profitable way to bring about such a movie.
Or maybe they needed a fourth and felt Ant-Man was… well, Ant-Man.
To be fair to Ant-Man Joel, he’s a very interesting character.
He’s a drunk with a Napoleon-complex who beats his wife! Now that’s entertainment!