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Wednesday
13May2009

Kenneth Branagh "Extremely Close" to Casting Thor

DateWednesday, May 13, 2009 at 8:07AM
From where I sit, Thor is going to be a tough sell for Marvel. Unlike some other comic book characters headed for theaters, there's a pretty specific look Thor has to have. While you can have any number of actors of average height filling the roles of Iron Man, Captain America, Batman, Spider-Man, The Green Lantern, and others, Thor's got to be a big son of a bitch. Not Marvel's listed size for the character, obviously (he's about six-and-a-half feet tall and 640 pounds), but a Thor who isn't physically imposing just won't cut it.

By the same token, director Kenneth Branagh presumably has to find an actor who can also elicit some sympathy from the audience because Thor's alter ego is a slightly handicapped medical student. I can't imagine the movie wouldn't have that part of the story. So yep, that's a tough role to cast, all right.

But Branagh tells MTV that we'll find out who that mystery man will be in fairly short order. “We're down to the final stages of it,” the director admits. “The reason one has to be properly diplomatic, is simply that some talented peopled have been patient, kind, creative and really committed to working with us in this process.”

Translation: No hints.

“My reluctance to say anything about it is simply out of respect for people who have been extremely respectful of us,” Branagh explained. “That said, I think we are extremely close and I hope to announce a decision sooner rather than later.”

There have been a lot of rumors about who might swing the hammer, but I really have no idea where Branagh's headed with this one. A big star doesn't leap to mind, and the actors who might be better physical matches aren't big stars and generally speaking don't have great track records.

I have a hunch most of us will be really surprised when they announce who's playing Thor, or at least, those of us who care. That's a whole other problem Marvel faces with this one.

AuthorColin Boyd | | in , , , | Print ArticlePrint Article | | CommentPost a Comment |

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