Josh Holloway for Thor!
October 2, 2008 at 5:53 pm by Curt Holman in A&E
Marvel Comics’ next superhero to get a big-screen introduction (following next summer’s prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine) will be The Mighty Thor, the Norse God of Thunder reconceived as a Superman-style do-gooder by Stan Lee, Larry Leiber and Jack Kirby in 1962. Variety reports that Kenneth Branagh is in negotiations to direct the big-screen Thor film, which has a release date of July 16, 2010. (Incidentally, Iron Man 2 is set for May 7 of that year.)
Branagh is an intriguing potential choice. As his generation’s best-known interpreter of Shakespeare for the big screen, he could deftly handle the antiquated dialogue of the Thor comics, which have more “forsooths” than a day at the Renaissance Festival. Branagh’s fluency with special effects and action scenes is a bigger question mark — he didn’t really distinguish himself with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein — but his Henry V suggests he could bring gravity and wit to the (literally) mythic elements of the story. Rumor has it that much of the Thor script takes place in Asgard, realm of the Norse Gods. Screenwriter Mark Protosevich says:
“It’s going to be like a super hero origin story, but not one about a human gaining super powers, but of a god realizing his true potential. It’s the story of a Old Testament god who becomes a new Testament god.”
It sounds pretty ambitious for a superhero popcorn movie — more Lord of the Rings than Spider-Man. The next question becomes, who could play a convincing Thor? In the comics, he’s a strapping guy with long blonde hair, and his look includes a red cape, a winged helmet and a big honking hammer. To even approximate the comics, you’d need someone with the physique of He-Man era Dolph Lundgren, but with the vocal authority of a Shakespearean thespian.
So is “Lost” star and former Georgian Josh Holloway a crazy choice?
As con man John “Sawyer” Ford on “Lost,
” he’s got charisma and presence to spare, so he’s not a lightweight. He’s big and ripped enough to meet the role’s physical requirements. And while Thor may seem to call for an actor with a fresh, sunny disposition, like Christopher Reeve in the Superman movies, reports about Prostovech’s script suggest that Thor undergoes a conversation experience comparable to Tony Stark’s in Iron Man, so an intense performance might be just what the material calls for.
Granted, he’s a risky choice. Holloway isn’t a movie star and, after Iron Man, Marvel probably will pursue actors with big-screen credibility at least comparable to Robert Downey Jr.’s. Depending on how heavily the film relies on the mythological elements, Thor will be ungodly expensive, creating pressure to cast a big-name actor. (Russell Crowe could conceivably do it, but would he?) Also, Holloway’s best known for playing an acidly witty, sardonic s.o.b., so it’s a mystery whether audiences could accept him playing a good guy. And just what does he sound like when he’s not speaking in that “Sawyer drawl” of his?
Nevertheless, Holloway at least deserves a screen test.
Photos courtesy of Marvel Comics and ABC.
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