Kenneth Branagh May Direct Marvel’s ‘Thor’

According to Variety, Shakespearian theatre and film veteran Kenneth Branagh is in talks to direct Marvel Studios’ “Thor” feature film.

There’s no certainty that Branagh will get the nod to direct “Thor,” as the article states that the “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Hamlet” director is simply in the negotiation phase, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room to speculate about what a Branagh-directed “Thor” might involve. If the pairing does become official, it would put one of the primary ambassadors of Shakespeare’s work to mainstream culture behind the camera for the live-action debut of Marvel’s favorite Norse superhero — a character who, like many of Branagh’s roles, doesn’t shy away from using “thee” and “thou” in conversation.

“Thor” is currently scheduled for release on June 4, 2010, and as one of the founding members of the Marvel Comics superteam “The Avengers,” the character could be making another appearance (alongside Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America, among other characters) in Marvel Studios’ live-action “Avengers” feature film scheduled for release July 4, 2011. The script for the film was written by Mark Protosevich.