| Kenneth 
                    Branagh on Thor? 
  
                    
                      
                        Variety 
                      reports that Marvel Studios has almost finished negotiations 
                      with noted actor/director Kenneth Branagh to steer their 
                      god of thunder to theaters June 4, 2010. This really does 
                      have to be close to a done deal, unless Variety has decided 
                      that it has to compete with online sources and give play 
                      to all sorts of rumors. 
                          |  |   
                          | Okay, 
                              so he probably won't cast himself... |  Nah, 
                      let's buy into this one. Perhaps 
                      best known in theatrical circles for his ongoing Shakespeare 
                      work, Branagh in fact would have to wait a little while 
                      before starting because of Shakespeare. After directing 
                      and starring in a 1996 film version of Hamlet, 
                      he's got a stage version opening in London later this year, 
                      starring Jude Law in the title role. He's 
                      got the chops for the faux-Shakespearean dialogue 
                      Marvel's Asgardians spout, which is likely somewhat preserved 
                      in Mark Protosevich's screenplay. And Branagh plays around 
                      with material in interesting ways, sometimes successfully 
                      as in Dead Again, and sometimes with spectacular 
                      flame-outs, such as Love's Labour's Lost. At any 
                      rate, he's always at least interesting, clearly a move Marvel 
                      wants to make. Rather, they want to continue making after 
                      seeing the success of Jon Favreau on Iron Man, 
                      Sam Raimi on Spider-Man and Louis Leterrier on 
                      The Incredible Hulk. Will 
                      we be putting The Mighty Thor in the same category? 
                      Verily, I shall put my money on Branagh. 
 
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