Thor is shaping up to be quite the cinematic epic, with an all-star cast that includes Natalie Portman, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Stuart Townsend, Tadanobu Asano, Ray Stevenson and more. But it looks as though they’ve got room for one more, with the announcement that Idris Elba will be joining the cast of the Kenneth Branaugh-directed film. In Thor, Elba will play Heimdall, a guardian of Asgard who stands on the BiFrost Bridge to protect the city from invaders. The film, which goes into production in January, is looking at a May 2011 release date, which gives them plenty of time to get this bad boy in the can. And if the success of recent Marvel adaptations is any indication, the demand is high. Get busy!
I love this casting. Branagh not only has great taste, but also a sense of humor, as Wikipedia tells me that Heimdall is “whitest of the gods”.