Although a major player in Norse mythology, the character of Thor is known primarily to comics fans, and only recently to the general public, due to the news that famed director Kenneth Branagh (Peter’s Friends, Dead Again) will be helming a movie for Marvel Studios based on the character’s heroic exploits, due out in 2011.

For those not in the know, Thor is the Asgardian god of thunder, once worshiped by Vikings as a source of strength and bravery, whose name was co-opted by Marvel Comics back in 1962, when the fair-haired character (originally red-headed in the mythology) first appeared in Journey Into Mystery. Thor’s story broke with tradition in several aspects, mainly in the fact that his father Odin, chief of the gods, sought to teach his son humility by trapping him in the body of a mortal, Dr. Donald Blake. Over the years, Thor gained in popularity as he became a charter member of the Avengers (the character will also appear in a live-action Avengers feature, due out in 2012) and Journey Into Mystery officially became the Thor comic book in 1964. Although rooted moderately in Norse mythology, the thunder god’s stories only paid lip service to his true history, until artist/writer Walt Simonson’s epic 1983-1986 run on the series restored the character to his true glory and revitalized fans’ interests in the Norse superhero.

Now the god of thunder–who has had spotty appearances in non-comics media, including an okay run in the Marvel Super-Heroes anthology cartoon and a laughably horrible live-action turn in the 1988 TV movie The Incredible Hulk Returns–faces another potential upswing in popularity with the still-casting Thor: God of Thunder. While Marvel Studios has achieved a true coup in nabbing Kenneth Branagh, a director well versed in Shakespearian lore (Henry V, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing) to take on a character whose mythic adventures preceded and in some ways partially inspired grand epics such as Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, the true test of whether the film will succeed or fail will depend not so much on the script as on the actor who portrays the titular hero.

While rumored names such as Brad Pitt have been tossed about for being worthy of the role, and Alexander Skarsgard is supposedly cast (still just a rumor!), my own personal favorite choice of known actors for the role was Karl Urban, who played Eomer in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and will soon be seen as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy in J.J. Abrams’ upcoming Star Trek.

Note: Urban “was” my favorite choice…until I discovered James Preston Rogers existed. (more…)