Director Kenneth Branagh and Marvel Studios are trucking right along with the casting of the Thor film.
Tom Hiddleston has been tapped to play Loki, the mischievous foe of the god of thunder.
This news comes right after Marvel’s announcement that Chris Hemsworth, currently seen in Star Trek, will play the hammer-wielding superhero.
Nicknamed the god of lies and mischief, Loki uses his talents at sorcery to try to kill Thor, his more powerful brother, whom he resents.
Branagh already had a relationship with Hiddleston, having co-starred with the actor in the BBC miniseries Wallander. The two were also in a London stage production of Ivanov.
Hiddleston also played Winston Churchill’s son in HBO’s The Gathering Storm.
Mark Protosevich, Ashley Miller and Zak Stentz wrote the script that is set for release in 2011.
Going with relatively unknowns is a turn for Marvel after hiring bigger names for Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, which hopefully means they are focusing on who is right for part and not who will put butts in the theater seats.
Marvel says the idea is to help audiences ease into the property and get to know the character; an established actor would be a distraction. The successful launch of Thor is key for Marvel, considering the character is part of the Avengers (also made up of Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk and Captain America), whom the company wants to team up in a film planned for 2012.
Source: Variety
