First Pic of Chris Hemsworth in Thor Costume

With the release of Iron Man 2 only a week away Marvel takes this timely opportunity to release the first picture of Chris Hemsworth in costume for the upcoming THOR movie (don't forget too, tomorrow is free comic day and one of the free comics is conveniently an Iron Man/Thor one.) They decided to go with the armored costume based on the comic version's current design, with some slight alterations. It also seems that they opted to go with the bearded Thor on this one. I think its a good call, it makes the former Australian soap opera star look less metrosexual.

The film has a release date set for May 6, 2011 and is directed by Kenneth Branagh who's most notably known for directing a number of William Shakespeare film adaptations. Hopefully his Shakespearean sensibilities will add drama & sincerity to an action flick that could've had the potential to be too corny. The film stars Sir Anthony Hopkins cast as Thor's father Odin, Natalie Portman as the love interest of Thor's alter ego and Tom Hiddleston as the evil Loki. Tom Hiddleston has had some experience acting in a Shakespeare adaptation as well so it looks like Kenneth is going for acting chops more than star power. Smart move, my trepidation is now lessened. Let's just hope Mjolnir looks awesome and that an Australian accent can translate into a Norse one. That's pretty much all the news that's out there right now, I'll leave you with the first press release for the movie and a mock trailer done by EditNinja made with clips of other movies. I say thee Godspeed.

“The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.” -official press release from Marvel.com