Chris Hemsworth is THOR!!! Tom Hiddleston is LOKI!!!

[GreenScar]

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. 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.

Chris Hemsworth has been cast as the title character in Kenneth Branagh’s big screen adaptation of Marvel’s Thor. Hemsworth will also be playing the mythic comic book character in the Summer 2012 superhero team-up film The Avengers.

You might be wondering, “Who the hell is Chris Hemsworth?” While you might not recognize his name, you saw him on the big screen last weekend in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek as George Kirk. Some of my critic friends had a big problem with Hemsworth’s performance in the opening sequence, but I did not.

Nikki Finke reports that Marvel and Branagh made the final decision earlier today after reviewing Hemsworth’s test footage, which was described as “Oh my god.” Chris is currently in production on the Joss Whedon-written Drew Goddard-directed horror film The Cabin in the Woods. The Australian actor was also just cast as the lead role in MGM’s Red Dawn remake last week.

He’s a virtual unknown in the United States, but he was a star on a successful television series back in Oz (171 episodes of Home and Away) and was on the 2006 Australian version of Dancing with the Stars.

Written by Mark Protosevich, the story has been described as being “like a superhero origin story, but not one about a human gaining super powers, but of a god realizing his true potential. It’s the story
of an Old Testament god who becomes a New Testament god”.

Marvel will self-fiance the production, and the film will be distributed by Paramount Pictures. Marvel has announced a June 17th 2011 release date for the film.

I like it. He was more than good as Kirk's father in Star Trek.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by GreenScar

The Australian actor was also just cast as the lead role in MGM’s Red Dawn remake last week.

This is the part that really bothers me............I had very high hopes the remake would die, the LatinoReview script review was beyond horrible. As for Thor meh, I have no love for Thor so anybody can play him and I wouldn't care.

[Steve]

Interesting. I think he looks the part, and I thought he did pretty well in the beginning of Star Trek.

[GreenScar]

Here's part of the article from Nikki Finke:

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 MGM on Thursday. The gorgeous 25-year-old Australian is a virtual unknown here in the United States. But he played "Kim Hyde" on 171 episodes of Home and Away, the successful Oz television series chronicling the lives and loves of the residents of Summer Bay, a small coastal town in New South Wales, Australia. Hemsworth is repped by partner and co-founder William Ward's ROAR management and Eileen Feldman's agency. Marvel Studios has scheduled Thor for a June 17, 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 Eileen Feldman got 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's 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, he just got cast 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 Olde 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 here the movie Thor, but he'll also be interacting later with the likes of Iron Man and Hulk. Marvel tapping Kenneth Branagh was a smart move to elevate the pic since the English helmer has so much experience with Shakespearean battle movies and has the ability to balance action with convincingly delivered old English.

[BluLobsta]

Yup, much that I hate to quote washed-up rappers though ... It's Hammer Time!!

[LOTR07]

Originally Posted by WyldeMan45

This is the part that really bothers me............I had very high hopes the remake would die, the LatinoReview script review was beyond horrible. As for Thor meh, I have no love for Thor so anybody can play him and I wouldn't care.

I agree on the remake of Red Dawn stupid and senseless....but a rather interesting and good choice for Thor. Always liked the comic and with Marvel i believe this is going to be a very good lead in to Avengers.

[Moefiz]

Finally....we have a Thor, good to know he will be around also for the Avengers movie.



JB....new name...cool...

[WyldeMan45]

I wonder if Odin will appear. I say Liam Neeson for odin the guy just has that look.

[Verisimilitude]

What was he criticised for in Star Trek? He was only in it for 5 minutes.

[WyldeMan45]

Just looked up some photos of him, he's not very big, maybe 190lbs. Hope the dude can bulk up 30lbs.

[GreenScar]

Originally Posted by Moefiz

Finally....we have a Thor, good to know he will be around also for the Avengers movie.



JB....new name...cool...

Thanks!

[iori]

Thought he was good in Star trek to have a such short screen time.

[Beast]

He seems a bit young to me. I liked the other guy who was up for the role better.

[Joe Cain]

If Branagh cast him, he's got some chops.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by Beast

He seems a bit young to me. I liked the other guy who was up for the role better.

Can you be more specific? There has been about 10 names attached, the most recent I know of though was Charlie Hunnam.

[GreenScar]

Originally Posted by Verisimilitude

What was he criticised for in Star Trek? He was only in it for 5 minutes.

To be totally honest, when I saw him onscreen, my first thought was, That is Captain America!



But here he looks a bit more Thor-ish



So this is the first time Marvel Studios has cast someone younger as a titular hero. It's a smart move as Thor is immortal.

[LOTR07]

Originally Posted by WyldeMan45

Just looked up some photos of him, he's not very big, maybe 190lbs. Hope the dude can bulk up 30lbs.

these days that should not be a problem...

[LOTR07]

He's got the Cap's eyes though....that can be altered as well with colored contacts but needs to look natural...to look realistic on-screen.

[BluLobsta]

Originally Posted by LOTR07

these days that should not be a problem...

Yup, just ask Manny

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by BluLobsta

Yup, just ask Manny

Ah good old fertility drugs.................lol