Thor - The Movie

Here is the first, official photo from the set of Marvel's Thor, starring Chris Hemsworth as the God of Thunder. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the film also co-stars Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins, among others.

Marvel has high hopes for this movie, given the big names involved, while fans - though excited - remain skeptical. Thor is notoriously difficult for creators to get a true handle on, given the whole Norse Mythology which comes with him. Walt Simonson shepherded the title into a golden age as both writer and artist, making Thor a must-read title in the late 1980s, but sales flagged sharply following his leave. The title was eventually canceled and only recently restarted. After 12 consecutive issues, Thor resumed its original numbering.

SPOILERS

Most recently, events catalogued in Siege and the many titles and issues which (poorly) tie into the event, saw Asgard destroyed and Norman Osborn unmasked as the Green Goblin. According to everything that has been told up to now, Thor is set to die - and come back, just like Steve Rogers (Captain America) did. Siege is the preamble to Marvel's Heroic Age many critics say was ushered in by parent company, Disney. It is also the relaunch of The Avengers title.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010