CAST EM': Thor 2

Similar to Iron Man 3, casting will start to ramp up soon for Thor 2 with the production starting this summer. A majority of the original cast will be returning such as Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Anthony Hopkins (Odin), Natalie Portman (Jane), Jaimie Alexander (Sif), Idris Elba (Hemidell), Ray Stevenson (Volstagg), Tadanobu Asano (Hogan) and Josh Dallas (Fendral). Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones) will be directing with a script from Don Payne (Thor, Simpsons) and Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan, Falling Skies, Warcraft).

It was revealed by Marvel's Kevin Feige that we'll be seeing the cast of Asgardians doubling in the sequel. With director Alan Taylor mostly known for directing television episodes Marvel might be looking at TV actors to fill new roles. The studio is notoriously tight with paying their actors and Thor 2 could be a stomping ground for rising actors alongside well known ones. I've done this CAST EM' multiple times but it's been updated to compliment director Alan Taylor.

BENJAMIN WALKER AS BALDER THE BRAVE: Balder is one Asgard's greatest warriors and had been wanted for the first film. Artists for the movie had did early costume concepts but the character didn't make the cut. When Thor earns the title of Prince of Midgard and becomes Earth's protector, Balder takes his place in Asgard.

Benjamin Walker was originally in talks to play Hank McCoy (Beast) in X-Men First Class but wouldn't land the role. He did end up getting the lead in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter instead. Walker is a rather bulky actor and seems like he would fit in nicely with the rest of the cast at six foot three inches. Ben has an extensive background in theater, comedy and now action films, a perfect combo. Recently he was cast in Paradise Lost but the Warner Bros. production is currently being delayed.

EMILIA CLARKE AS BRUNHILDE THE VALKYRIE: Valkyrie is one of the best known supporting Asgardians and was involved with the Marvel superhero team Defenders. She's also one of the only female warriors in the realm. It would be nice to see Sif  have competition and someone she can identify with. Brunhilde is also known to have adventures on Earth so she could be great for cameos in other films including Avengers 2.

Emilia Clarke has previously worked with Alan Taylor on two seasons of Game of Thrones. She's a newcomer and hasn't had much experience with films. Marvel would be able to hire her for their minimal fee and Emilia already has an international following because of the series. I'm sure Clarke would jump on the chance to make a film of this scale.

MELANIE LAURENT AS AMORA THE ENCHANTRESS: Amora is a fan favorite and one of the best villains in Thor's rogues gallery. She uses her skills in magic and manipulation to bend others to her will. I could see the character teaming up with Loki to gain power in Asgard. Also, she could be conflicted and jealous of Thor's intentions with the human Jane Foster.

French actress Melanie Laurent is someone I believe could do this role justice. Not just a pretty face this actress can be both dramatic, sweet and vengeful. Her performances in Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and this year's The Beginngers have made a large impact on critics. Melanie is an excellent young talent and should be in more event films.

JOE MANGANIELLO AS SKRUGE THE EXECUTIONER: Amora's side-kick and equally as powerful as any other Asgardian, Skruge is another along anticipated character. The Executioner follows Amora like a loyal dog and could be an excellent combatant for Thor. I felt the Destroyer was a terrible villain since it was a faceless object. A villain needs to have dimensions to care about their actions. I would hope that if Skurge is used he isn't just another mindless bruiser.

A lot of fans have been mention stuntmen or wrestlers for this role but I feel Marvel goes the extra mile with casting well known characters. True Blood's Joe Manganiello is my choice and could be a way for him to live out his dreams to play a superhuman. Joe had been a candidate to play Superman in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel but ultimately lost the role. The problem for the casting team is that they'll have to hire someone bigger than Chris Hemsworth which is sort of challenge. Not to mention someone who has an acting background. Joe is around two inches taller than Chris and has slightly more bulk to him. He's also no stranger to the genre playing Flash Thompson in the original Spider-Man film.

CATE BLANCHETT AS HELA: When thinking of who could be as menacing as Colm Feore's Laufey, Tom Hiddleston's Loki or even Anthony Hopkin's Odin, Hela is equally as powerful and threatening. While in the comics it's revealed Hela is Loki's daughter I'm sure it could be changed for the films. In charge of the underworld there have been events where she alines herself with Loki and takes the fight to the gates of Asgard.

When I think of an actress that could carry this booming character it comes down to Cate Blanchett. She is a versatile actress and like Hopkins equally renowned for her performances. She's someone I believe can keep up with the diverse cast and the scene stealing Hiddleston. The only issue could be her involvement in the extensive Hobbit shoot.

Patty Jenkins Won't Direct Thor 2

Deadline reports that Monster director Patty Jenkins won't be directing Thor 2. The studio and Patty had a disagreement over creative issues which lead to her exit. However, they state Jenkins could end up directing another one of Marvel's laundry list projects. Marvel will have to move quickly as production is expected to start in September of next year with a release date a little over a year after that date. Giving a director enough time to put together pre-production, set creation and new casting additions. Thor 2 is expected to be a rather large sequel with it's Asgardian population rumored to be doubling in size. Not to mention the fact there has been talk the movie is likely to be set in other realms which is very costly for the studio.

Brian Kirk (Luther, Game of Thrones) had also been in talks with the studio but also left over creative and budget issues. This isn't new for Marvel as the original Thor film went through a similar process to find it's director. Names like Matthew Vaughn and Sam Raimi were once attached to direct before Kenneth Branagh was ultimately hired. Jenkins could better suit a majority of the other projects in development and I'm sure will be back at Marvel in the future.
If Rupert Sanders wasn't busy with Snow White and The Huntsman I would have felt he was the director for the job. The film has a similar scale and tone which also stars Chris Hemsworth.

FIRST LOOK: Set Image From The Last Stand

Director Patty Jenkins Confirmed For Thor 2, Release Date Moved

Deadline has the official press release from Marvel Studios announcing that Monster director Patty Jenkins has been hired to make Thor 2. The sequel had just been pushed back to November 15th 2013 so Disney could fit The Lone Ranger into their summer lineup. Hopefully this could mean a bigger spectacle with an extra four months to complete post-production special effects. While Kenneth Branagh won't be directing he is still producing the film and likely contributing from the sidelines. Jenkins is the second female director to make a Marvel film and is an excellent choice in my opinion. It's expected that the original cast will return along with talk of expanding the cast of Asgardians.

I'd like to see Patty cast Swedish actor Joel Kinnaman (Snabba Cash 1-2, Dragon Tattoo, Safe House, Darkest Hour) in a role. She previously worked with Joel when Jenkins directed the pilot episode of The Killing which earned her an Emmey nomination. Joel was one of the finalists for the role of Thor that included Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. Hiddleston ended up landing the meatier role of Loki and is one of the best aspects of current run of Marvel films. It could be interesting to see Kinnaman in the role of Balder or one of the villains such as such as Malekith. Marvel might to move quickly before he gets cast in Steven Soderbergh's budding spy franchise The Man From UNCLE.


Another possibility is that Charlize Theron might re-team with Patty who helped earn her Best Actress Oscar for Monster. Theron is looking to make a powerful comeback after a batch sluggish films with roles in Jason Reitman's Young Adult, Ridley Scott's Prometheus and George Miller's Max Mad Fury Road. Not to mention starring alongside Thor himself Chris Hemsworth in Snow White And The Huntsman. I think she'd be great for Amora The Enchantress , Brunnhilde The Valkyrie or the villain Hela.

The only problem is that Fury Road is expected to start production in March and there are rumors of a sequel being at the same time.  That's of course if she can work it into her busy production for Mad Max. However, with the new release date and a spring production start Marvel would have plenty of time to accommodate Theron's other commitments.

Eduardo Noriega Joins The Last Stand

Variety reports that Spainish actor Eduardo Noriega (Devil's Backbone, Captain Alatriste) will play Cortez in The Last Stand. This villain is a ruthless drug cartel kingpin who is on the run to the Mexican boarder with $400 million dollars. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the grizzled Sheiff who heads up a relativly new group of deputies who patrol the small town Cortez ends up in with his hired guns. The film also stars Rodrigo Santoro, Jaimie Alexander (Thor), Peter Stormare and Zach Gilford. It will be directed by Kim Jee-Woon (I Saw The Devil) with a release date of January 18th 2013.

Jaimie Alexander Joins Swarzenegger In The Last Stand

Variety reports that Jaimie Alexander (Thor, Thor 2) has landed the female lead in The Last Stand. This will be director Kim Jee-Woon's (I Saw The Devil) first English film. Alexander will be joining Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rodrigo Santoro (300, Che), Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights) and Peter Stormare (Fargo, Big Lebowski). 

Tom Hiddleston & Jaimie Alexander Talk Thor 2

Jaimie Alexander, who plays Sif has been making the rounds during the promotion of Thor hitting DVD/Blu Ray. She talked to MovieWeb mentioning a few things she'd like to see in the sequel. Which includes a romance between Sif and Thor along with the addition of Beta Ray Bill.

 "Yes. I would love for that (romance) to happen. I don't know what the story is going to be just yet, and nothing has been made official, but the hope is that it will be made official, and I would love to explore more of that. And, in future endeavors, I would love to see Beta Ray Bill, or something like that. I think that would be really cool. Like you said, there are so many avenues to go down, so many endless possibilities."

Personally I'd love to see more Sif in the sequel as much as I enjoyed Jane Foster (Portman), I believe she could be sidelined for the sequel and it wouldn't hurt the film. Beta Ray Bill is a cool character but his design is terrible. He's a horse-faced Thor doppelganger so if they're able to redesign him for film I'd all for his inclusion.

Also, Tom Hiddleston talked to Collider about Thor 2 and he gives the impression Marvel could be expanding the cosmic world and exploring the other realms. I've been hoping the second film would be entirely set off-Earth and this seems like another possible step in that direction. Previously, Hiddleston teased that Loki could end up fighting alongside Thor in the sequel. That angle has been hinted at for Avengers as well. I think Loki is an excellent character but he needs a limited role in Thor 2 if only because he's been featured in two Marvel films within the year.

Jaimie Alexander & Olivia Wilde Talk Tomb Raider

It wasn't too long ago that it was announced that GK Films (Departed, The Town) has gained the rights to make a new Tomb Raider film. They just hired the duo of Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby best known for writing Iron Man and Cowboys & Aliens to pen the script. A great combination as both writers and GK Films are respected for delivering solid films. Speaking with MovieLine Thor's Jaimie Alexander who did an amazing job as Lady Sif wants a crack at Lara Croft.

"I've obviously been hearing about a Tomb Raider reboot, which I think would be pretty awesome — Lara Croft. Anything that's very physical. ... I would love to pursue Lara Croft."


"I'm not going to try and be Angelina Jolie. She's her own woman, and she did a fantastic job as Lara Croft. If that opportunity arises for me, then I would put my own spin on Lara Croft. There's no way I would try and copy what she did. I think that's a huge mistake with actors and actresses who are taking on a role that was previously done by someone else."


MTV recently got a brief comment from long rumored candidate Olivia Wilde (Tron Legacy,  Cowboys & Aliens) on her involvement.


"As far as I know right now, I'm not playing Lara Croft. No.....That would be so awesome. I love Lara Croft," she said. "That's really cool that people think I should play her. That's nice of them."