The following LationReview.com interview relates information revealed to them by an unnamed 'inside source' at Marvel. Until any of this information is confirmed by the studio, be sure to take it with the proverbial grain of salt:
How does Thor fit into this time-line?
"In terms of time-line, Thor is set after The Incredible Hulk. In the script we make mention of gamma radiation and one of the scientist characters, I think Stellan Skarsgard's Professor Ford recalls, “There was brilliant scientist (Bruce Banner). He was a genius with gamma radiation and somehow S.H.I.E.L.D. made him disappear.” So Thor's story would take place after The Incredible Hulk. At this point, Nick Fury and Tony Stark would have already started amassing people [for the Avengers team]."
When does Thor become a full-fledged member of the Avengers?
"Basically, at the end of the movie, Thor makes mention to Clark Gregg's character Agent Coulson that his kingdom of Asgard and S.H.I.E.L.D. are on the same side and whenever they need his help, he will be there to assist them in battle. It does leave it open, with Thor basically saying “When you need me and you want to assemble a team, I’m down.” So, this is obviously pre-Avengers, post-Incredible Hulk."
How is Kenneth Branagh handling comic book material like Thor?
"Branagh is fantastic. The guy is a passionate director. He makes everything and everyone important, no matter how small their role in the production is. He's keeping the material very close to the comic. The tone is – even the way the stuff looks – is darker. So it’s cool. Iron Man was cool because it was light, but not too light like the Batman movies that Tim Burton made and it was not as heavy as say, Chris Nolan's The Dark Knight. Iron Man was the perfect comic book movie because it was the light and the dark sides sort of mixed together. Thor balances the same things as well. It plays the light side with the stuff on Earth and then the heavier side with what happens up in Asgard and the battle that occurs. Marvel has done a really good job of trying to blend what they need to have a successful movie and what they need to keep all the fan boys happy. They're doing an excellent job."
How is Chris Hemsworth doing with the title role?
"He’s not only f*ing great, but a cool guy and about as normal a guy that you’ll ever meet. I know everyone is saying that. Chris had auditioned for another movie, but failed to win the part, yet he was very open and self-deprecating about it. He even said “Yeah, yeah. I auditioned for that. But apparently I was pretty terrible.” He’ll have that sort of attitude about it and kind of make fun of himself. “Yeah, I pretty much stunk the joint up when I went in and auditioned for that.” He’s got that kind of self deprecating humor. Very, very cool dude. He is a perfect Thor. The guy’s a physical specimen. He’s 6’4’’/6’5’’ and he’s built like a brick house. He looks like he came down off that Rainbow Bridge and was ready to rock."
How do Thor's costume and iconic hammer look so far?
"Surprisingly, the costume looks amazing. We could tell early on from the production sketches of costumes and sets that this was going to be something good. It’s just beautiful and the designers really took it to heart. If you look at some of the more recent Thor comics that are out now, the tone and the costuming is that. It’s basically, the way you read the comics now, they’re updated the way they are now and that’s how the costumes are. I think everyone is going to be very, very happy. Nothing looks cheesy or cheap. Everything looks like it’s real. Everything looks like it came from that period. And everything looks right on all the actors. Nothing looks stupid. I guess that’s the best word. It's just jaw-dropping even to the Marvel executives.
What’s funny is that when you see these Marvel executives you immediately think, “You guys are young. You guys read the comics?” They're involved in everything and they’re the first ones to make a joke. So they would be like, “Yo, that hammer is f*king, wrong”, because they know that they have this fan base and they have to respect them. They know that those comics are their bread and butter. They took a big gamble with Marvel Studios and it’s paying off because they pay attention to detail. And not only that, it’s their movie watching experience. They want to watch it, too and not be distracted by how bad the costumes are. So they really paid attention to it and they made it look flawless. It just looks flawless when you watch it."
Well, it sure looks that everything is on track!!
What do you guys think?
Peace out
UPDATE: PART II:
Was Samuel L. Jackson telling the truth when he said that he doesn't appear in Thor?
"Yes. In the official script version, he is not. That could change in time though. He wasn't in the original script of Iron Man either but they changed it late in the game. The same can be said for Robert Downey Jr. In fact the only cameo of great significance is from Stan Lee."
Besides Thor what other Asgardians from the comics are a part of the story?
"Idris Elba, who did some great work on HBO's The Wire plays Heimdall the keeper of the Rainbow Bridge that connects Asagard to Earth. He basically controls who crosses that bridge and comes in and out of Asgard. Basically, there are nine realms. Earth is one of the realms and Asgard is another. Heimdall watches over the nine realms from his observatory. What’s great is, the Asgardians are supposed to be Norse gods, but a black actor was chosen to be one of them. Someone like Idris Elba is a leading man type of guy and is nice to have. Some people may think “Oh, he shouldn’t be black,” but Elba has a strong presence and it’s really good casting."
"The same could be said for Hogun, who’s also a Norse god, but in the comics actually looks Mongolian. In the film he's played by a Japanese actor. That's what's so great about Branagh, this is a multi-cultural cast and he doesn't care because wants the best people. There's even a Hispanic actor playing a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Branagh doesn't care what an actor's nationality he, he just wants the best performers and treats everyone, big and small like they're important. The film has a pretty relaxed set too, because everyone here are professionals and know what jobs they have to do."
What's the real story about Townsend's abrupt exit from the production?
"It appears he wasn't happy with the limited screen-time of his character Fandral. There was friction with him from the very beginning as far back as his screen test which he basically blew off. He wasn't the first choice of either Marvel or the film's producers to begin with, but when they brought him in they liked him. They thought he did a good job. It looks like the fact that his character doesn't have a pivotal role in the movie made him sort of slack off and say, “Well, f**k this movie. I’m not the lead, so who f*cking cares?” They say he had a similar attitude when he made The Lord of the Rings ten years ago and look how that turned out. They replaced him with Viggo Mortensen and the rest is history. He failed to realize the movie is not called Fandral, it's called Thor. The movie’s not about him. Its surprising, because he was one of the longest working actors on the project yet he still acts like a diva. There was an incident where he had a costume test and blew that off. The studio had people working under deadlines fly in to meet him and he showed up six hours late. When they complained, his response was something like “Oh, well could we just do it now?” Talk about arrogance. Townsend's been replaced by another actor named Joshua Dallas and he's just come from doing Red Tails near San Francisco where the rumors of George Lucas directing re-shoots on the film are not rumors, they're true."
Have they completed any visual f/x work on Thor?
"Some. All the work they are doing now is the difficult stuff like the Asgard sequences. The sound stages for that have already been completed and they are beautiful. They’re shooting it out at Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach and the sets they've built are six stories high. You’re inside a gigantic building and you’re like, “This is unbelievable. I can’t believe that people physically built this.” It looks like something that’s ancient and from another world. They really did a great job. Natalie Portman should be heading there soon, she just finished Black Swan and has just started shooting her scenes in New Mexico."
What about Tom Hiddleston as Loki the film's main villain?
"He's great and what's funny is that Tom had actually come in to audition for Thor but he’s very tall and very thin. Kind of lanky. Marvel said, “No”, but then it came up that maybe he should audition for Loki and he apparently put himself on tape and was amazing. He had also worked with Kenneth Branagh already in London. This movie is as much an origin story for Loki as it is for Thor and he's not only the hero's nemesis but his brother. How do you deal with a situation like that where the very person who is trying to destroy you is your adopted brother? In the script, Thor is basically banished to Earth because he’s arrogant and proud and must learn what it is to live among mortals. And while the cat’s away, the mouse will play. While he's gone, Loki starts discovering things about himself, including his desire to be all powerful. He wants to be as well loved as Thor and that jealousy starts creating these complications. “Why can’t I be the ruler? Why am I always in his shadow?” So he starts developing those feelings while Thor's gone. It’s a very good script with pretty much half of the movie in Asgard and the other half on Earth. I think people will be pleased with the way it unfolds."
When might we finally see a teaser trailer?
"Probably at Comic Con. The scheduled release is date is May 6, 2011. I think that’s the actual release date, handed down from Marvel. They could put it in front of the new Iron Man 2 movie, but that's this May and a little too soon. Marvel wants to release the film exactly a year after Iron Man 2. The release is almost 365 days later. And then Captain America in July 2011 and The Avengers will be the following year, 2012. That’s what they’re trying to do, line them up like that. May of every year, there will be a new Marvel movie out."
Are there any Easter eggs or hidden clues in Thor?
"No, in terms of the script, it’s pretty straight forward. It’s more through the dialogue, here and there that they’ll say something. Everything’s obviously connected, like every piece of S.H.I.E.L.D. tech has the Stark Industries logo on it. Even on a pen or computer screens in the movie. You’ll notice it on the computer screen’s upper left-hand corner, everything says Stark Industries. You already know that we have a deal with Tony Stark, which you kind of got from the first Iron Man's conclusion. Now you know S.H.I.E.L.D. is officially in league with him. And you’ll probably see stuff like that in Captain America or The Avengers on a S.H.I.E.L.D. heli-carrier."
UPDATE #2: Captain America & the Avengers The final part of LatinoReview's insider interview focuses on two of Marvel's other anticipated movies.
There were hints of Captain America in the first Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. Is there anything like that in Thor?
"No, but it's still early in the game and that could change."
Everyone has their own personal choices about who should play Captain America. What's yours?
"My choice for Captain America would be Matt Damon."
But that’s not going to happen.
"No. Personally, I know little of the work from the guy's on the short list, except for John Krasinski, but I don’t think he' right for the role. He’s too tall and he’s oriented more to TV sitcoms or comedic films. I just don’t think he’s the right fit for Captain America. I'm hearing the tests for him are not really going well. But don't feel bad for John, his fiance is Emily Blunt who would have made a great Black Widow. The other potential actors I don’t know too well. I know what they look like, and I've seen some of their material, but Captain America needs to be played by a strong actor. He’s got to have incredibly strong character because not only does become an Adonis from the Super-Soldier serum, but he develops into an amazing fighter. He also has to be a guy who can establish order in complete chaos. With the Avengers, you’ve got Tony Stark being funny and doing his thing. You’ve got Thor who is a God and a bit of a loose cannon and you’ve got the Incredible Hulk. You need a guy who’s a disciplined leader. Most importantly, as leader of The Avengers Cap needs an actor whose presence can even overshadow that of Robert Downey Jr. After all, Tony Stark sort of ends up following him, right?"
Can you elaborate a bit on Captain America?
"Not entirely sure, but it definitely must open before The Avengers. There's a completed script ready to go. It's already in its third draft. It’s a period piece. The first half of the movie starts off in World War II, then, I believe, the film concludes with him getting frozen in the ice and being discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Avengers. That actually makes sense. Why wait until The Avengers to have Cap meet Stark, Fury and the team and then sign up? Time is limited and you waste it if you spend the first act establishing relationships between Cap and the others. This way, when The Avengers story begins, he'll be somewhat familiar with his new comrades and the main plot can kick into gear immediately."
Everyone wants to know about ‘The Avengers’ now that it’s been announced. Jon Favreau is producing but who is the director?
"They're still unclear at this time, but narrowing it down to candidates. As a fan of the comics, what's exciting to me is finally seeing S.H.I.E.L.D. in action. How they take control of situations, shut things down and maybe even make people disappear. It'll be the first time we see what they really do and their advanced technology like the heli-carrier."
There's also talk of the Hulk being the villain in The Avengers. Perhaps through a misunderstanding by the team or under Loki's influence...
"I think in the first Avengers film, the Hulk should be the villain, in a way. There should also be another arc in the story or perhaps a bigger storyline. The Hulk personally is my favorite character in all comics. He’s the guy who represents the inner rage and the animal inside of everyone and I think something’s gotta drive him where he thinks he’s under attack by these guys who are basically just trying to subdue him. It sets up an interesting dynamic. I don’t think the Hulk should be the main villain, but I think he should be a distraction. I think everyone else is in order and he’s the only one who, at a moments notice, can go off. He represents rage in all man."
At the end of The Incredible Hulk Tony Stark has a cameo where he says to Gen. Ross, “You have a problem.”
"Exactly. You need to have the Hulk brought under control. And that’s what they want. “This guy could be the most powerful being on earth and he should be dealing with us. We don’t want him to fall into enemy hands.” I think if you have something like that where they are trying to wrangle him in and then realize they really do need him. That was basically the story line with the Incredible Hulk. The Hulk was always trying to be subdued, always trying to be controlled. But when the sh*t hit the fan, who would come in to save the day? The Incredible Hulk, one of the most powerful beings on the planet. The problem with that is that he’s unpredictable. You never know what he's going to do. Though they suggested at the end of that film that Bruce Banner had finally mastered control over his transformations and perhaps the monster so that element might work too."
Do you think there’s gonna be another Hulk movie?
"I don’t know. I think there should be another Hulk movie because let's face it, Ang Lee's version wasn't the best interpretation. Edward Norton's Hulk was a little more faithful to the material. I wish it had been a little more successful because then it would lock him in. If somewhere down the line they do Planet Hulk which is when the Avengers try to trick him to do this mission, then sedate him and shoot him into space, that might be nice too. He lands on an alien planet, becomes a gladiator and eventually leads a race of warriors back to Earth. That would be nice to see in live action. Seeing him seek revenge on those that betrayed him, Mr. Fantastic, Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and even ripping the roof off Madison Square Garden. Something like that could be huge and I think Hulk deserves a movie like that. But the next time we see him will probably be in The Avengers movie."
What other characters are going to be in The Avengers?
"Not entirely sure, but I read like everyone else Joe Quesada from Marvel posting on Twitter that he was printing out the first draft. I think it would have to be Wasp. You have to have Wasp and you have to have Ant Man who are also romantically linked. But Ant Man's own movie doesn't appear to be happening right now. You also need Natasha Romanova who is the Black Widow. Scarlett Johansson plays her in Iron Man 2, so I imagine the plan is the bring her over for that and she'd be perfect. You need Captain America, Thor, Hulk and Iron Man. Then there's Nick Fury sort of guiding them all. "