IMDB - Chris Hemsworth

IMDB - Tom Hiddleston

EXCLUSIVE MONDAY UPDATE: I've learned that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Thor director Kenneth Branagh have cast their Loki, the nemesis to the lead in Thor set for release on May 20, 2011. He's Tom Hiddleston, unknown to American audiences but an award-winning British actor and Royal Academy Of Dramatic Arts (RADA) graduate. He played Winston Churchill's son in HBO's The Gathering Storm, but, more to the point, note that Hiddleston starred in Ivanov opposite Sir Kenneth on the London stage and also starred with him in the BBC miniseries Wallander. In 2008, Hiddleston was nominated twice for the Laurence Olivier Stage Award for Best Newcomer – for his roles in Othello and Cymbeline. He won for the latter.

Marvel Studios won't confirm my news, but Hiddleston had been considered as a possible Thor. See my previous, 'Thor': Unknowns? There had been a big Internet push to cast Josh Hartnett in the Loki role but instead Marvel went with an unknown. This follows my news of the weekend casting of 25-year-old Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth as Thor since Branagh was in town to finalize the principal cast. See my previous, EXCLUSIVE: Chris Hemsworth Is 'Thor'.

I hear the Marvel Studios press release about both castings is being written and should be released soon. Chris Hemsworth also a virtual unknown to American audiences, yet he was approved to play the lead role in Thor by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and the film's director Kenneth Branagh. Hemsworth can currently be seen as "George Kirk" in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot and also just snagged the lead in Red Dawn for United Artists last Thursday. (He's currently filming Joss Whedon's horror flick Cabin In The Woods for UA, and I heard the studio was so hot on him that's why it cast Hemsworth in the action pic.) The 25-year-old hunk played "Kim Hyde" on 171 episodes of Home and Away, the successful Oz TV series where Heath Ledger started. The way Chris Hemsworth got the part of Thor is one of those great Hollywood stories that happens only once in a blue moon. I have all the details here.

EXCLUSIVE: Talk about spot-on casting. I've just learned that Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige and director Kenneth Branagh have chosen their THOR -- and it's Chris Hemsworth, who can currently be seen as "George Kirk" in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot and also just snagged the lead in Red Dawn for United Artists on Thursday. (He's currently filming Joss Whedon's horror flick Cabin In The Woods for UA, and I heard the studio was so hot on him that it cast Hemsworth in the action pic.) The 25-year-old Australian hunk is a virtual unknown here in the United States. But he played "Kim Hyde" on 171 episodes of Home and Away, the successful Oz TV series where Heath Ledger started. Hemsworth is repped by partner and co-founder William Ward at ROAR management and agent Ilene Feldman. Marvel Studios has scheduled Thor for a May 20, 2011, release.

The way Chris Hemsworth got the part of Thor is one of those great Hollywood backstories that happens only once in a blue moon. Ward had found Chris during one of the manager's many scouting trips to Australia. Ward brought him to Los Angeles and really put him out there to casting directors and production executives. As for the major agencies, I hear CAA passed on the meeting, Endeavor took it but passed on repping him, and ICM was interested but dragged their feet. But Ilene Feldman understood his appeal immediately. 

Chris had read for the part of Thor but wasn't given a test because a casting director had nixed him early on. I'm told Chris' younger brother Liam (who's also a ROAR client) then tested for the role of Thor, but Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige passed. Then, after a conversation with Ward ("You've got to reconsider Chris, he's your guy"), Feige decided to let Chris read again. And once Marvel put him on tape, it was "Oh my god". Branagh came to town last week and saw the Chris test and made the final casting decision today.

What a week for Chris since, on Thursday, UA picked him as the Red Dawn lead. Brother Liam, who's only been in Los Angeles for 3 weeks and doesn't even have an agent yet, just got cast the male lead in Last Song opposite Miley Cyrus in the Disney film based on the Nicholas Sparks novel. Both brothers live in William Ward's guest house. Unreal!

Thor's character, in a nutshell, is the Viking god of thunder who wears a winged helmet and speaks in King James Bible-style English, as well as referring to himself in the third person as “the Odinson.” He wields a magic hammer, and can “fly” by throwing the hammer really hard and hanging on to it. Not only is there the movie Thor, but he'll also be interacting later with the likes of Iron Man and Hulk. Marvel tapping Kenneth Branagh is considered a smart move to elevate the pic since the UK helmer has so much experience with Shakespearean battle movies.

For months now, I've been tracking this Thor process though casting directors, agents and the like. Daniel Craig reportedly turned down the lead role. Other names reputedly in consideration were Rome’s Kevin McKidd and WWE champion Triple-H, who previously entered the Marvel universe as a villainous vampire in Blade: Trinity. And also a host of little knowns. (See my previous, Those Who Would Play Thor: Unknowns?) The following actors were tested: Charlie Hunnam (the British co-star of the F/X series Sons Of Anarchy); Tom Hiddleston (award-winning British actor and RADA graduate who played Winston Churchill's son in HBO's The Gathering Storm), Alexandar Skarsgard (Stellan's son who has appeared in the HBO Iraq War miniseries Generation Kill and vampire drama True Blood), Liam Hemsworth (offered a significant role in The Expendables after Sly Stallone saw his tape), and Joel Kinnaman (some Swedish-American dude).

I'd heard Marvel wanted to finalize casting Thor this month. The pic's release was recently pushed back from July 16, 2010, to now May 20, 2011.

Marvel's Thor is the latest hero from the comics and entertainment company to get the cartoon treatment.

Marvel Animation is developing and self-producing a 26 half-hour episode series based on its long-running comic book, with the series targeted to launch in fall 2010, following Marvel's live-action feature "Thor," which bows in 2010.

The animated series will follow Thor, the Norse god of thunder, as he defends his mythical home of Asgard against fantastical villains, fiendish hordes, winged creatures and angry giants. The show will take place in various worlds -- from mountainous landscapes to places of icy mists and fiery voids -- and will include many of the comic's supporting cast, including Balder the Brave, the Warriors Three and Thor's evil adopted brother, Loki.

Marvel president of animation Eric Rollman said the series is part of the company's plan to follow each live-action movie with an animated series and "offer a continued awareness in the marketplace." It already is in production on cartoon series "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes," which will be available for broadcast in 2011, in time for Marvel Studios' releases of the live-action "The First Avenger: Captain America" and "The Avengers."

As if that wasn't heroic enough, Craig also turned down the role of Marvel's "Thor" out of respect for the Bond franchise. But that doesn't mean he wasn't tempted by the prospect of playing the Norse superhero.

"They spoke about it but I thought I can't play Bond and Thor," he says. "I would have been on some stupid power trip. Blonde hair and a big hammer? I can't do it."

Q: Can you comment on being approached to play Thor?

Craig: I'm not [doing it]. I said no.

Q: You'd have been making a statement playing both of Thor and Bond.

Craig: It would have been too much of a statement. Physically, it would have been incredible. But Quantum is as physical as I want to get in movies at the moment. To go and do another role that is just as physical doesn't make sense.

Branagh in talks to direct 'Thor'

Brit set to wield hammer on Marvel Studios pic

Branagh se

Kenneth Branagh is negotiating to direct "Thor," the next Marvel Comics property that will be turned into a live-action film by Marvel Studios. Pic will be released in 2010.

Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige's choice of Branagh is surprising, as Branagh hasn't really directed an action-heavy film since his debut on "Henry V," a bloody telling of the British king's conquest of France. 

Branagh is the latest in a string of directors -- such as Jon Favreau ("Iron Man"), Christopher Nolan (the Batman franchise) and Gavin Hood ("X-Men Origins: Wolverine") -- with arthouse roots taking on big-budget comicbook fare.

Marvel will set a distributor for "Thor" shortly.

"Thor" comicbook adaptation, penned by Mark Protosevich, follows disabled medical student Donald Blake, who has an alter ego as the hammer-wielding Norse god Thor.

Marvel will self-finance the film via its $500 million credit facility through Merrill Lynch. Marvel used that coin to fund both "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk" and will do the same for the "Iron Man" sequel that has director Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr. returning. 

The "Thor" negotiations come during a resurgence for Branagh. He's currently drawing raves on the London stage in the title role of "Ivanov," and he'll next be seen acting in the Richard Curtis-directed "The Boat That Rocked" and the Bryan Singer-helmed "Valkyrie."

In a land of superheroes and mutants, it takes a lot to stand out. Fortunately for Thor, he's a god.

Thor has been a fixture in the Marvel universe for over forty-five years, as a founding member of the Avengers and star of his own title throughout the years. And today he is at the height of his powers, with his series hitting the top of the charts and talk of a major motion picture in the works. It's a big jump for Thor because if you turn back the clock two years he was reportedly dead, with no series, no Avengers membership and no movie in the works.

Thor's road back to top started in September 2007 with a new series helmed by writer J. Michael Stracyzinski and artist Olivier Coipel. After a 3-year absence, this new series found Thor reviving Asgard after the mythical events of Ragnarok – setting up shop in Oklahoma. Yes, Oklahoma.

Ten issues have been released so far, and after a brief hiatus the book returns on October 29th with Thor #11. J. Michael Stracyznski acts as writer and shepherd, navigating it to new heights and through crossovers, tie-ins and special events. As the new issue nears release, we talked to JMS for more.

Newsarama: Thanks for talking to us, Joe. Over the course of the ten issues released so far, you've firmly put the Asgardian in the top comics sold each month. What's your secret to making Thor work this well?

J. Michael Straczynski: It's been amazing to watch, because for Thor, which was always a mid-selling book, to be in the top ten for every single issue since the reboot is just a great compliment. I don't think even Marvel can quite figure that one out, because there's very little action, no cross-over material (which I think may be one of the contributing factors to it doing well, you don't have to read 15 other titles to follow what's going on), and it's set in Oklahoma. If there's any one element to point to, in addition to Olivier's amazing artwork, it's that it's an honest story, with a strong character, on a journey that's designed to feel appropriately mythic.

NRAMA: There's been a delay between issues #10 and #11 of several months. Can you tell us what's the cause of this?

JMS: The responsibility is mine, and I'll take the rap for it. I got sideswiped by a bunch of feature film deadlines that were supposed to fall in a nice, orderly fashion and ended up all landing at the same moment, time-on-target. My goal is to get the book back on a more regular schedule ASAP.

NRAMA: The solicitation for Thor #11 promises to see Thor going out into the modern world more and Loki's machinations beginning to bear fruit. What can you tell us about this issue?

JMS: One of the problems with Bad Guys is that they invariably tend to lose. I want Loki to win from time to time...and s/he's being very, very careful and very precise in unraveling this newest scheme. It's subtle and it hinges on the fact that s/he's telling the truth all the time. It's just in how you phrase or frame that truth that the evil slips in. Loki travels to Vegas to meet someone we haven't seen in a long time, and sets in motion the final phase of the plan.

NRAMA: One of the more striking turn of events in your remaking Thor in the Marvel universe is recasting Loki as a woman. Freed from the shackles of being a male trickster, she's more dangerous and elusive than ever. What brought you to the decision to go this route, and how to do you think it colors the Asgardian mythos in Marvel comics?

JMS: Not at all, because Loki has always been a shape-shifter, both in the comics and in mythology. He's a trickster, and is not above appearing as anyone needed to get the job done. We will get a big hint about how s/he was able to pull off this transformation in the next couple of issues, and when Thor finds out he's going to go right up the flue. Let me put it this way: who's the only other Asgardian who didn't make it through, and whom Loki may be holding prisoner for reasons of his own? And what happened to that person's body?

NRAMA: Loki's had her hand in several things behind the scenes, but foremost has been bringing to light the fact that Balder is a son of Odin and prince of Asgard. Was this inspired by some Asgardian stories, or where did it come from?

JMS: That comes right out of the mythological foundation of the character. Balder was always represented in myth as being one of Odin's sons. So I thought it was appropriate to bring this element into the book.

NRAMA: Balder's new status has put his relationship with Thor in a new place, especially on Thor's part. What's Thor's take on the new developments?

JMS: He's cautious about it. On one level, Balder is his brother, literally and figuratively...he trusts Balder implicitly and would do anything for him. But when it comes to the responsibilities of princedom, Balder is a bit of a naif, he's inexperienced, and can be more easily swayed if he's not very, very careful.

NRAMA: We can't forget the impact of Asgard as it sits in the plains of Oklahoma – and it's neighboring town, Broxton. We've seen the residents here and then, most notably (for me) with an Asgardian/human romance a couple issues back. Where do you see the Broxton – Asgard relationship going?

JMS: There's a change coming in the not too distant future that will turn all of Asgard upside down...a schism that will affect its relationship with the town and one another for a long time to come.

NRAMA:When writing gods, it can be hard to humanize them but you've done so by placing them in the modern world – trying to come to grips with the new status quo. Will we be seeing more of their interaction with normal humans?

JMS: Definitely. Loki is nudging Balder toward opening Asgard to the outside world (or vice-versa). S/he's going for the bird in a gilded cage scenario...and there's a lot of truth in that argument. So yes, that process will now accelerate quite a bit.

NRAMA: Re-reading over the issues so far in preparation for this interview, I'm amazed at the slow-burn approach you used to reintroduce Thor into the thick of things; it's utterly classic and gripping. You're no stranger to fast-pace storytelling, so what led you to this approach?

JMS: I wanted the book to have a regal sort of feel to it. It has its own pace, its own voice that's just not like much else out there. My theory going in was that comic book readers have the patience for a strong, detailed character story that doesn't need to blow stuff up every day. Yes, there's a time and a place for that, and there's a heck of a big blow-up coming very soon, but there's room for variation. When the Seinfeld show said it was going to be a show about nothing, everybody said it couldn't/wouldn't work. It did. Thor is about something, about that character finding his destiny, but it's not doing what was expected...and yet it's doing very well.

NRAMA: For the most part, you've carefully avoided the wider Marvel universe and all the wars and invasions to focus on Thor's own attempt to recreate Asgard. Why is it so important to focus on this rebuilding for Thor and the cast?

JMS: So that they all have the proper amount of gravitas, and so we can really get into the characters in a way that you can't if you're running from one crisis to the next and doing crossovers that steal story time from the main book. My theory on crossovers, in general, is that you do them to promote the characters that appear in it so that readers check out the individual books. Now it feels more and more like the individual books are put in service of the crossovers...and that has the potential to kill any chance for long-term, unaffected storytelling with a single, clear voice. Every time I got Amazing Spider-Man or Fantastic Four or another book firmly on the rails, we got pulled into some big event book or crossover and it cost momentum and messed badly with the pacing and structure of the book. I was very clear that I wanted to keep Thor out of the rest of the Marvel universe for no less than the first six issues. And the success of the book, I think, speaks well to that decision.

Marvel plans to launch its 2010 film slate with the release of the sequel, Iron Man 2, on April 30, 2010, followed by the launch of Thor on June 4, 2010

Super Hero Squad cartoon: scheduled for Spring 2009 release
Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow DVD: late 2008 release
Hulk Vs". DVD: early 2009 release
Thor: Son of Asgard DVD: late 2009 release

The Skrull invasion of Earth doesn’t just threaten the major metropolises of the Marvel Universe. The people in small towns around the world are in grave danger as well. But this summer, one town in particular has a very special guardian who speaks loudly and carries a big hammer, his name Thor, God of Thunder. CBR News spoke with writer Matt Fraction about the three issue "Secret Invasion: Thor" mini-series, which kicks off this August.

While working on his first Thor assignment, "Thor: Ages of Thunder" with artist Patrick Zircher (hitting stores on April 23rd), Fraction discovered just how much he enjoyed writing Thor. "Superheroes are kind of the modern mythology in a lot of ways so to work with a character who straddles the line between the new mythologies and the old ones is very interesting," Fraction told CBR News. "And now with him so close to humanity and all these innocent people again, he’s at the nexus, both figuratively and literally, of all these interesting things. Plus he has a GIANT goddamn hammer, which he uses to hit things, and that is freaking rad."

In "Thor" #2, the Thunder God restored Asgard so the fabled kingdom floats over a small town in Oklahoma. This fired Fraction’s imagination and inspired his story for "Secret Invasion: Thor." "The Crux of this story is that because Thor chose to keep Asgard this close to Earth and mankind, the Skrulls see this town as a giant military target," Fraction explained. "In a way Thor has inadvertently endangered the town of Broxton and everybody there. So once it’s clear the invasion is coming and they know the invaders are coming for Asgard, because it was a surprise to everybody, Thor takes this inordinate amount of responsibility upon himself.

"The first big moment of the series is when Heimdall realizes the invasion is coming. There’s this inevitable, unstoppable force barreling down on Thor and these innocent people might get hurt. So it’s time to dig in and fight back," Fraction continued. "It’s sort of like '300’ re-imagined with a half dozen Asgardian Gods standing against an onslaught of Skrulls. It’s almost kind of a self contained story you don’t even have to know that much about 'Secret Invasion.’"

Asgard’s sudden reemergence means that confronting Thor and the Asgardians was not a part of the Skrulls’ original invasion plans but that doesn’t mean the Skrulls coming for the Thunder God are unprepared or ill equipped. "They’ve adapted and improvised," Fraction stated. "The Skrulls tend to be pretty lateral thinkers. Their plan is to destroy Asgard, and they’re coming armed with all kinds of special weapons."

The destruction of Asgard is more than a military mission to the Skrull invaders: it’s a moral imperative. "The Skrulls are evangelical crusaders. This is a holy war for them," Fraction explained. "And there’s literally a pantheon of gods in their way. So they’re going to destroy them."

When Thor returned from the oblivion of Ragnarok, he had inherited much of the vast mystical power wielded by his deceased father, Odin. If the Skrulls were facing Thor at his best, they would need to bring some immensely powerful weapons to bear. Unfortunately for the people of Broxton and the Asgardians, Thor isn’t at full power. In recent issues of "Thor," the Thunder God expended much of the Odin Power in order to revive the Asgardians who were "sleeping" on earth, hidden in mortal bodies. "His batteries are a little worn down," Fraction said. "Thor’s very much a god and very much reconnected to his greatness and the power of Asgard. But at the beginning of this story he’s not at the top of his game and he’s crucially aware of it. Now when he needs to be at full capacity, he’s not. So it puts him at a real disadvantage."

When Thor’s inherited powers revived his half brother Loki, it resulted in the mischievous god mysteriously being reborn in female form. Loki may have changed sexes but she’s still just as opportunistic and scheming. She’ll find though, that when the Skrulls invade there won’t be any opportunities to exploit. "The Skrulls aren’t buying what Loki is selling," Fraction remarked. "It’s either the Asgardians stand together or they fall together. There’s no bargaining, no bartering, no back room deals to be cut for Loki. The Skrulls have come to replace all of our gods."

Thor and his fellow gods are the central characters in "Secret Invasion: Thor," but the people of Broxton are just as important to the story. "It’s very much about the town," Fraction said," "It’s also very much about Thor and the Asgardians’ relationship with the town. It’s about the intersection of man and god and what that means in a logistical way."

In "Secret Invasion: Thor," the Asgardians and the people of Broxton find themselves in a bleak situation but the tone of the story is not exactly grim. "It’s my flavor of grim, which is very much like a Heavy Metal grim," Fraction explained. "My Thor is very much a 'Led Zeppelin III’ kind of Thor. It’s very power metal; lots of power chords, huge riffs and epic colossal guitar noises. So it’s grim, but it’s only grim as all things awesome have to get a little grim before they get awesome."

The artist drawing Fraction’s epic of awesome action is still being kept under wraps. "I was shocked that we got this person," Fraction said. "I was literally stunned. I never in a million years thought it would happen. So I’m super psyched."

The opportunity to work with the book’s mystery artist and to add to the legend of Thor has made "Secret Invasion: Thor" an immensely enjoyable assignment for Fraction. "I’m super thankful to write this," he said. "It’s cool that Thor is back and such a big part of the Marvel U. Hopefully this series will both scratch everybody’s Thor itch and blow the doors off the place."

While a fan was asking about a possible Ares/Thor fight, Queada feigned taking a call on his cell phone saying, "Nope. Haven't seen it. Not for months." Upon completion of the call, he said "That was Dan DiDio looking for his market share."

Quesada then returned to the question, saying that Marvel know has four "very heavy hitters" in Thor, Ares, Hercules, and the Sentry, and that the fan might be on the right track. "There's some definite, long-term plans there," said Buckley.

Any chance Thor will join the Avengers? Quesada said that JMS has his own plans for Thor, which doesn't include that at the moment but may in the future.

Secret Invasion: Thor was announced, written by Matt Fraction and drawn by...to be announced.

Possibility of a Sentry/Thor face-off? "That would be really cool, wouldn't it?" Quesada said, excitedly, then adding that he doesn't know when it will happen.

A Thor reader asked why the new, female Loki, went to Dr. Doom with his plans instead of being "the traditional Norse trickster" (his words). Quesada said he couldn't speak for JMS and to keep reading the book.

Thor: Ages of Thunder #1 Preview

As Thor continues to deal with an uncertain future after the return of the missing Asgardians, readers can now look to the past and examine the long, arduous road that brought him here! Thor: Ages Of Thunder, a double-sized special from red-hot scribe Matt Fraction (Immortal Iron Fist, upcoming Uncanny X-Men) and fan favorite artist Patrick Zircher (Thunderbolts) explore the events leading to the mighty Thor’s bonding with the human Donald Blake as he wages war with the terrifying Frost Giants. But just how does a tragic tale of the Enchantress and the legendary villainy of the trickster Loki play into all this?

With Loki’s involvement in the critically-acclaimed Thor, this issue is perfect for fans looking to learn more about the Marvel Universe’s greatest deceiver…and just what makes Thor the man he is today! Don’t miss the double-sized Thor: Ages Of Thunder!

THOR: AGES OF THUNDER (FEB082257)
Written by MATT FRACTION
Art by PATRICK ZIRCHER & KHARI EVANS
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC