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When you think about the list of names that’s been touted to play Thor, who would’ve thought they’d turn to Daniel Craig? Some people may have thought of it, but the buzz went more around Brad Pitt. In an interview with IESB at press junket for Quantum of Solace, Craig revealed that he was indeed approached by Marvel to play the Son of Odin.

IESB asked if Craig was interested in doing something a little different character-wise, like Thor?

Craig said no, he turned it down and laughed about it.

IESB continued, “seriously, I heard the folks over at Marvel had you on a short list to be Thor.”

Craig said yes they [Marvel] did approach him but he turned it down. He added jokingly, it would have been too much of a power trip, both Bond and Thor, and running around with long hair and a hammer.

It’s not yet set in stone but we’ll report it anyway. Kenneth Branagh is in negotiations to direct the upcoming Marvel movie Thor. The movie is set to hit theaters June 2010, and the character to play Thor (Brad Pitt in the buzz) should be part of the Avengers movie due out in 2011 along with Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America.

I had gotten some really good insights about the upcoming Thor movie from both comments and fans recently; among them that Thor was actually being written without, in contrast to my early speculation, the 21st century character Donald Blake.

“I have script. No donald Blake. This film is norse mythology all the way…the marvel way.” Advanced Dark, a commenter, recently wrote.

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As of today, the only thing we know about the Thor movie is that it’s set for release in June 4, 2010. We also know that Thor will figure in the Avengers movie that’s also being produced by Marvel, set for release in 2011. All the rest remains to be speculation.

Who will play Thor in the movie
There had been rumors earlier that Brad Pitt would grab the role of Thor, but when Stan Lee said that he’d like Leonardo di Caprio to be Marvel’s next superhero, the talk became a little more spiced up - was Stan Lee talking about di Caprio as Thor or Captain America.

What would be the plot all about
“Screenwriter Mark Protosevich has been hired to write a script for a live-action Thor film. In December 2007, he described his plans for it “to be like a superhero origin story, but not one about a human gaining super powers, but of a god realizing his true potential.” [Source]

I had said earlier that a Thor movie might not work if he came down from Heaven in true god-like fashion. It might also not work with the Avengers movie since both Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk were pretty much based on present-day realities. For the thunder god to even need a team means:

1. Thor has vulnerabilities, which is fine if he were man-turned-superhero but not if he is “The Soooon of Ooodiinnn”
2. The Avengers movie villain is too powerful for him to handle by himself… and I hope it’s not Hulk.

However we do find a story of Thor that is quite realistic. A guy named Donald Blake finds Thor’s hammer, the Mjolnir, and becomes the superhero. This is quite a safe assumption since it coincides with the comics, allows him to act schizophrenic god-like, and bridge the existence of other fictional figures in the comics such as Odin and Loki. The question is if he finds it in New York city or somewhere else in the world, how he goes about becoming Thor, and just how much power does he wield.

Who would be the Thor movie villain
Loki is probably the first one in anybody’s mind to be Thor’s nemesis in the movie. And honestly, I think he’s the only one who would make this movie interesting. The problem though, aside from who’s gonna play the role and if they’re gonna go with the hideous yellow-and-green costume, is how Loki’s story would originate itself. I mean, you wouldn’t want Thor to be a superhero with an alien on his tail.

I’m starting this Avenger category today, so let me update you on how things have gone..

The denominator for the Avengers movie is obvious by now: SHIELD, that stupidly named government department (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division.. I looked it up) with Nick Fury at its helm ..who’s suddenly black, btw.

Tony Stark was first to be recruited by Fury, who surprised him at his home in the dead of night (ooh.. kinky). A prize catch this cocky, weapons technology industrialist was - he would interrupt Gen. Thaddeus Ross drinking (in The Incredible Hulk) to reveal the formation of a team. We assume it’s the “Avenger Initiative”.. or so Fury coins.

Marvel camp has already mentioned Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America and maybe Antman to be part of the Avengers movie showing in 2011. Dr. Banner has not been recruited yet. But he seems comfy in British Columbia learning to control his powers.

We’ve also had a glimpse of what the Super Soldier Serum could do after Blonsky, aka. The Abomination, had a tinge injected to himself (he was the antagonist in The Incredible Hulk). Gen. Thaddeus Ross makes mention of having a serum that was “super powerful,” and if we’re tying it right, it should be the one to make Captain America. At any rate, we’ve also had a glimpse of Captain America’s shield in the Iron Man movie.

Point of speculation: Who is Captain America and will he be discovered in a chunk of ice from the 1940’s as the comics relate? Leonardo di Caprio’s name had come up for the part - because he sank in the Titanic movie. Kidding.

Antman is not gonna be a problem… he needs a job.

Thor, however, is one hero I have issues with story-wise. It might not be good to make him as a fallen “god” for the movie; and neither does a scientist turned superhero by a mythologically-perceived hammer suffice my liking. There has to be a way to humanize the “Sooon of Ooodiinnnn!”.. take care of it, you marvel men you.

I would also add that Colonel Nick Fury originally had Wolverine track Dr. Banner down.. so we’ll see if the tie-ups would follow. Nonetheless, with all these superheroes up, the Avengers movie looks to conjure super-testosterones as well.

Quite the buzz going in Marvel camp this week as talks regarding Brad Pitt playing the Mighty Thor cropped up during the weekend. Marvel said that they have made no formal offer to Brad Pitt, but who cares. Him playing the Son of Odin would definitely bring spark to an otherwise boring thought of a god playing superhero on 21st century Earth. The movie is set to show in July 4, 2010.

In the grander scheme of things, people are now looking at the Avenger movie set for release in 2011. If you didn’t catch the Iron Man film, Samuel Jackson sprang up after the credits as S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Nick Fury inviting Tony Stark to the “Avenger Initiative.” This began speculation that, since Hulk, Thor, and Captain America are among the movies to be released by Marvel before the scheduled showing of The Avengers, that Nick Fury might actually invite everyone, and will likely act alongside Robert Downey Jr.

Personally, I could think of other people for the Thundergod - ahem Viggo Mortensen ahem - but Brad Pitt does sound “worthy.” Lolz!

Another Marvel movie I hope to see someday is War Machine, who also gave us an initial preview as Terence Howard in the Iron Man film. Terence, playing Lt. James Rhodes, was at one point shown looking at one of Tony Stark’s prototype Iron Man suites. Evidently, it looked more like War Machine than Iron Man.