July 2013 Will See A 'Thor' Sequel

Deadline have reported that, following the magnitude of the success of Kenneth Branagh's film Thor, a sequel has received the green-light and will hit our screens in July 2013. Disney and Marvel Studios made the official decision and Disney revealed to MTV that Chris Hemsworth is set to reprise his role, whilst Kenneth Branagh will not be returning as director.

After grossing $437 million worldwide you'd think there wouldn't be any need for such a large change as a change of director. However the dropping of Branagh was allegedly a 'mutual and amicable' one and that Branagh may return in a producing role. The hunt is now on for a new director.

I am yet to see Thor but the numbers speak for themselves and I think any sequel that retains Hemsworth at its helm will go down well with fans of the first film. We come to expect sequels from

Preview: Thor (2011)

So as the release of 'Thor', the story of a magnificent warrior sent down to earth as a punishment who comes to defend our planet, draws near its seems appropriate to take a closer look at this one. The element of this film that excites me most is that Kenneth Branagh directs it! It is a rather strange match and I will be interested to see if Branagh can pull a first class fantasy action out of the bag. Here's to hoping.

The film also includes an as yet little known actor as its lead man. Chris Hemsworth plays the mighty warrior in this one, but will it prove a gamble to employ a relatively unexperienced actor to such a major role? We all have to start somewhere though and I am hoping his performance will put to shame many of our 'action' heroes who, at times, lack any pretences of being macho. Hemsworth could provide a breath of fresh air in this department. If not we will be well spoilt with the talents of both Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman, two characters who have been very active of late in the movie scene.

What I hope most that this film will achieve is not to be nearly as cheesy as the description makes it sound. A mighty warrior sent to earth as a punishment who ultimately comes to love our fair planet and defends it with all his might. Unfortunately it all sounds slightly predictable. I'm sure a love interest with Portman will also be included. This film has plenty of potential to be a huge hit as it touches upon a fantasy character we have seen little of in film. However, it could end up being as one-dimensional as 'Clash Of The Titans'. Now we don't want to go down that road Kenneth so make sure it doesn't!