Kenneth Branagh in talks to direct Marvel's next big comic book hero

It's well-established that Marvel are working towards The Avengers, a gigantic super-tentpole blockbuster for summer 2012 (or thereabouts) featuring Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America and Norse thunder god Thor.

Iron Man is already a promising franchise, with Robert Downey's take on the armoured superhero having drawn compliments from critics and audiences alike. The Hulk is more problematic, with the franchise reboot after Ang Lee's damp squib of a series opener languishing somewhere in the mid-table of current comic book properties. Captain America is yet to come, and is currently the subject of much casting speculation with Will Smith's name connected by multiple sources - including Marvel progenitor Stan Lee himself - to the rôle of the blond-haired, blue-eyed all-American hero. Smith himself, we should note, professes to know absolutely nothing about the rumours.

The final piece of the Avengers puzzle though is Thor. So far the least discussed of the four key Avengers, that may be about to change with Variety reporting this morning that no less a figure than Kenneth Branagh is in talks to direct the movie adaptation. They note though that:

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.

I'm not sure I agree: Given the Thunder God's propensity for flowery language, and Branagh's gift for making Shakespeare's verse sound like natural speech while retaining its poetry, this could be a marriage made in Asgard.

Comments

[MovieRussianRoulette]

Oh dear.

Is Kenneth going to don the tights and direct himself in this venture? No doubt he will draft in Derek Jacobi to play Loki and Brian Blessed to play Odin.

Still i'm sure it still won't be as bad as the Sleuth remake.

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[David]

oh course he is not going to don tights, he has been linked to direct.

if you are going to add comments which are supposed to help advertise and entice us to your website at least try to make them funny or interesting.

[e skelton]

Oh please! Lets hope that the American financial bubble has finally popped and can't fund anymore of this drivel! It seems that from Star Trek to Lost in Space and Superman through Batman, Spiderman, Fantastic Four, X-men to Iron Man (and even Scooby Doo and the Flintstones for goodness sake!) that the whole industry has become a sentimental nostalgia fest for forty/fifty somethings who still live with their mum. I'm 45 and hated it the first time; Guess I found out about girls.

Will Smith Captain America???Well look at the plus and minuses.
Minuses first,
1,HE'S BLACK (I'M NOT RACIST)
2,HE'S SMALL FRAMED,
3,HE'S "FUNNY" LOOKING (THEM EARS FOR ONE)
Plus'es
NONE!!!

[Stan Denski]

"As bad as the Sleuth remake"????? I love Sleuth, I saw it on stage before the original film and,as much as I like the original film, the remake is superior in every conceivable way. Having the screenplay written by a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature doesn't hurt either. Michale Caine turns out to be considerably better than Olivier in the killer's part. Stunning film; if you haven't seen it, do so and make up your own mind.

[tee]

Will Smith would not play the Cap we all expect to see, but be part of the story where the Government used black soldiers to perfect the super soldier serum. as highlighted in the comic series Truth. Matthew McConaughey would be a perfect fit for the role. blonde eyes, blue hair,established actor etc etc.