“It’s Hammer Time!”
On May 6, Kenneth 
Branagh's Thor opens in theatres – and the Toronto Public Library doth have mighty reads featuring the Son of Odin.
Branagh with his Shakespearean gravitas seems an unlikely fit with a superhero film. Watch his interview at the Comics Con in San Diego. It may surprise you.
Oscar-winner Natalie Portman plays Thor's earthly love, Jane Foster. Read how filming Thor kept her sane after The Black Swan. Chris Hemsworth, a relative newcomer, has the role of Thor.
Branagh's casting of British actor, Idris Elba (The Wire, Luther) as Heimdall, the Norse guardian of Asgard, was truly inspired. Read Elba's take in the UK Guardian.
Thor, a prominent figure in Norse mythology and immortalized in the Eddas, reached the height of popularity during the Viking Era. Thor's legacy continues – not only did he inspire "Thursday" – but some wicked cool comic books.
One of the most interesting (and weirder) creations of Marvel, Thor first appeared in Journey Into Mystery #83 in 1962, created by the immortal Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby. Thor and the tales of Asgard have endured for over 40 years. Thor's Marvel-ous charm includes his hyperbolic mash-up of pseudo-medieval diction:
"The power within Mjolnir doth rage like the winter storms bursting upon the shore in furious assault!"
The cast of Thor (from left to right) Natalie Portman, Chris Hemsworth, Idris Elba
And the merchandising: last weekend, I stood puzzling at a display of Easter Thors (because nothing suggests Easter more than Norse gods made of chocolate).
Further reading:
- Norse Mythology: The Myths and Legends of the Nordic Gods by Arthur Cotterell
- Marvel Adventures: Avengers / Thor by Paul Toibin
- Visionaries: Thor by Walter Simonson
- Avengers Disassembled: The Mighty Thor by Michael Avon Oeming
- Ragnarok: Eve of Apocalypse by Myŏng-lang Yi (Korean graphic fiction series based on Norse mythology)
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