FILM · 2011 · USA
Thor
- Directed by
- Kenneth Branagh
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Studio
- Marvel Studios, Marvel Entertainment
500 archived facts 8 topics 2 sources Last reviewed Nov 2026
Against his father Odin's will, The Mighty Thor - a powerful but arrogant warrior god - recklessly reignites an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.
500 Interesting Facts About Thor
Interesting Facts (120)
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When Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Sir Anthony Hopkins (Odin) first saw each other in full armor, Hopkins said: "God, there's no acting required here, is there?"
Thor (2011): Chris HemsworthImage: Wikimedia Commons · Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #006
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Tom Hiddleston prepared for the role by following a strict diet before and during filming so that Loki would have a lean but hungry-looking face.
Thor (2011): LokiImage: Wikimedia Commons · Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #008
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Contains a major spoiler — show
A Roman god (Nabil Nona) appears at the feast at the end of the film. In Marvel comics, the Norse and Greco-Roman gods (the Asgardians and the Olympians, respectively) know each other. The gods Thor and Hercules are very good friends and Avengers allies; Hercules was set to make his debut with Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
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Contains a major spoiler — show
This film and the comic book's version of Norse mythology differ from real Norse myth in several ways: * Odin lost an eye in his war with the Jotuns. In Norse legend, he gave up an eye to gain cosmic wisdom. * In Norse legend, Loki is Odin's foster brother, not Thor's. * Laufey was originally Loki's mother, not his father (in Iceland this change was found amusing because Laufey is still a popular female name there).
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Tom Hiddleston found Loki's helmet very uncomfortable, because it was heavy and he could not see properly out of it. He channeled that discomfort into Loki's battle scenes.
Thor (2011): LokiImage: Wikimedia Commons · Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #014
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Sir Kenneth Branagh conceptualized the film as a Norse and comic book adaptation of William Shakespeare's Henry V (1989), which centered on a young King facing trials and tribulations such as going to war, courting a girl from another country, trying to live up to the example set by his father (a beloved King), and fundamental character development.
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Sir Anthony Hopkins claims he relates to the role of Odin: "I'm a bit like Odin. He's a tough guy. He's a guy with a purpose. I'm playing the god who exiles his son from Asgard because he screwed everything up. He's a hot-headed, sullen young man, probably part of the old block, but I decided he's not really ready to rule the future kingdom, and so I exiled him. I'm tough and my wife complains and I say, 'That's why I'm King.'".
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(At about 28 minutes) Director Sir Kenneth Branagh drew inspiration for the scene in which Odin strips Thor of his chest armor from the scene in The Life of Emile Zola (1937) in which a disgraced Army officer has his rank taken from him.
Thor (2011): Young Thor, conversation sceneImage: Wikimedia Commons · Ronald Woan, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #022
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(At about 43 minutes) As Thor (Chris Hemsworth) leaves the restaurant to go to the crater site and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) follows him, a small water tower reading "Welcome. Home of the Vikings." can be seen at the end of the street.
Thor (2011): Chris Hemsworth and Young Thor, at an evening eventImage: Wikimedia Commons · museled, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #024
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According to producer Kevin Feige, the Bifrost bridge was the film's most interesting set: "In the comic books, it's literally a rainbow that extends from Asgard and lands on Earth. We're not necessarily doing that. We don't have big, hard, flat lines of color. We say it's a kind of energy, almost a solid quartz bridge, and as light catches it and flows through it, you give it a rainbow-like quality."
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The artifacts seen in Asgard's weapons vault are among the various mystical objects seen in the Marvel comic books. In chronological order of appearance, these are: * The Tuning Fork, a device that can summon monsters. * The Tablet of Life and Time, a tablet that can extend human lifespan. * The Eye of the Sorcerer, an artifact that can control people's minds. * The Eternal Flame, an inextinguishable mystical fire (which played a significant role in Thor: Ragnarok (2017)). * The Casket of Ancient Winters, a magical vessel filled with icy winds (which plays a significant role in this film). * The Infinity Gauntlet, a gauntlet studded with six gems that alter reality.
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In the town there is a billboard advertising New Mexico tourism with the slogan "Land of Enchantment - Journey into Mystery." "Land of Enchantment" is New Mexico's nickname, and "Journey into Mystery" is the name of the Marvel comic in which Thor first appeared (Journey into Mystery #83).
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Chris Hemsworth had bulked up so much before his screen test that the original costume (designed for a specific size) began cutting off the circulation in his arms and legs the first time he tried it on.
Thor (2011): Chris HemsworthImage: Wikimedia Commons · Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #036
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Contains a major spoiler — show
(Around 1 hour 18 minutes) S.H.I.E.L.D. agents tracking the Asgardians in search of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) see Sif (Jaimie Alexander), Fandral (Josh Dallas) and Hogun (Tadanobu Asano), but not Volstagg (Ray Stevenson). In a deleted scene, Volstagg knocked out the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, who had tracked them by their food and then stole it.
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According to screenwriter Don Payne, Dr. Jane Foster was more of a stereotypical scientist (dry and skeptical), but Natalie Portman wanted to revise the character to make her more poetic: "She thought Jane could be someone who thinks outside the box, whose theories are seen as strange and are not welcomed by the scientific community. But that's the kind of thinking that leads to great discoveries. When Thor arrives, she's ready to take a step. She has faith and has to live with the consequences."
Thor (2011): Jane FosterImage: Wikimedia Commons · Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0 - #040
According to Chris Hemsworth, the action coordinators tried different fighting styles, but in the end the fighting technique Thor uses is an original one based on boxing: a low stance with big, powerful hip movements.
Thor (2011): Chris Hemsworth and Young Thor, death sceneImage: Wikimedia Commons · Benjamin Ellis, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #041
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In the DVD audio commentary, director Sir Kenneth Branagh explains that the shot near the end, with Jane Foster and her friends working in their laboratory, was actually supposed to be this film's opening shot, and that the closing title sequence of the Nine Realms was originally planned as the prologue.
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In this film, the Casket of Ancient Winters was held by the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. In the comics, it was held by the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, particularly their leader Malekith the Accursed. In this film, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) holds the Casket and asks Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins) whether he is cursed as a nod to Malekith.
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According to producer Kevin Feige, the producers placed the Foo Fighters song "Walk" in this film because they thought its lyrics were strangely fitting: "If you had asked me two months ago if there would be a Foo Fighters song in this film, I would have said 'I don't think so.' But we heard the song and it has eerily appropriate lyrics and themes. Ken (director Sir Kenneth Branagh) especially loved the lyrics about learning to walk again and how they fit the film's themes of redemption and learning to be a hero."
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Contains a major spoiler — show
The artifact Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) shows Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) in the post-credits scene (which played a significant role in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and The Avengers (2012)) is the Tesseract, described as the Space Infinity Stone (a component of the Infinity Gauntlet). It is also based on the Cosmic Cube, a cube-shaped power artifact.
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The Science & Entertainment Exchange collaborated with the filmmakers and three physicists (Sean Carroll, Kevin Hand and Jim Hartle, as well as physics student Kevin Hickerson) on the film's design and production to provide a realistic scientific background for this film. This collaboration resulted in Jane Foster's profession changing from nurse to physicist and the use of the term "Einstein-Rosen bridge" (named after Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen) to describe the Bifröst.
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Contains a major spoiler — show
When Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) tumble from the Bifrost during their fight, you can see that Loki actually creates his own illusion. If you look closely, you can see Loki split in two, with his real self flying off the left side of the screen and the illusion he used to trick Thor clinging to the edge of the rainbow bridge.
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Contains a major spoiler — show
Early in the story, Thor is told that Mjolnir landed 50 miles west of the city. When the Destroyer attacks and Thor's hammer returns to him, the flight takes 20 seconds. This appears to show the events in real time, with no cut for dramatic effect, meaning Mjolnir's average speed is roughly Mach 12, or about 9,000 miles per hour.
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According to the film's science advisor Sean Carroll, the Bifröst is called a wormhole and should have been called that, but producer Kevin Feige thought it was "too 1990s" a term to use (given that the Stargate series popularized the phrase and also featured Norse gods). Therefore, a more specific scientific term was used: "Einstein-Rosen Bridge."
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Matthew Vaughn signed on to direct in 2007 and described his vision for the film as "the birth of a hero, interweaving Gladiator (2000) with Norse mythology." His deal with the studio ended in 2008, and Sir Kenneth Branagh was hired later that same year. Vaughn went on to direct Kick-Ass (2010), X-Men: First Class (2011) and the Kingsman films, all based on Marvel Comics properties.
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Tom Hiddleston was cast after having previously worked with Sir Kenneth Branagh on the stage play "Ivanov" and the series Wallander (2008).
Thor (2011): Loki and Young ThorImage: Wikimedia Commons · Benjamin Ellis, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #061
This is the last Marvel Studios film distributed through Paramount Pictures after Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010) and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). The Walt Disney Company bought Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in 2009, two years before this film's release, and then paid Paramount Pictures $115 million for the distribution rights to Marvel Studios' subsequent releases The Avengers (2012) and Iron Man 3 (2013).
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After watching Darkman (1990), Stan Lee approached Sam Raimi about working together. Raimi wanted to make a Thor film, so he and Lee pitched the project to 20th Century Fox in 1991. Although Batman (1989) had been a critical and commercial success only two years earlier, the studio turned down the pitch, saying, "Absolutely no. Comic books don't make good movies." Raimi would later direct the Spider-Man trilogy and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).
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This is Natalie Portman's second comic book film after V for Vendetta (2005).
Thor (2011): Jane FosterImage: Wikimedia Commons · Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #067
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The Conservative Citizens Council, which advocates white supremacy, boycotted the film over the casting of Sir Idris Elba as the Norse god Heimdall. Elba said, "It's so absurd. We have a guy with a flying hammer on his head and horns. But me playing a Norse god as an actor of African descent is unbelievable? I mean, Elizabeth Taylor played Cleopatra and Ben Kingsley played Gandhi."
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Three actors had previously been considered for other Marvel roles: * Natalie Portman for the role of Elektra in Daredevil (2003) and Black Widow in Iron Man 2 (2010). * Ray Stevenson for the role of Abomination in The Incredible Hulk (2008). * Chris Hemsworth for the role of Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009).
Thor (2011): Chris Hemsworth and Jane FosterImage: Wikimedia Commons · Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #072
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Screenwriter Zack Stentz said Sir Kenneth Branagh was the first person to recognize that Chris Hemsworth was the right choice to play Thor. He explained: "If you remember, when they announced Hemsworth it was like, 'Who? Captain Kirk's father? That skinny Australian surfer guy?' The thing about Branagh is that he has an unerring eye for casting. He's very good at it. We tell people: 'If Ken says that guy is the guy, then he's the guy.' He actually saw things in Hemsworth that I think a lot of people couldn't see up to that point. I think casting is seventy-five percent of these superhero movies. You put not almost the right actor but the right actor in the role, and it's magic."
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Ashley E. Miller and Zack Stentz were hired to write the film because of their sci-fi series credits such as Andromeda (2000) and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008). Miller explained: "Marvel was looking for television writers because they're fast. Hopefully they've become a team because that was even faster. And hopefully they knew sci-fi and comic books, and hopefully, hopefully they knew Thor. I think we tick all the boxes."
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In 2026, Sir Kenneth Branagh expressed interest in returning to the Thor series: "Part of me would love to have finished my relationship with that character. I always wanted to do more and indeed I had a few ideas, more in the realm of James Mangold's wonderful Logan (2017). I would love to see Chris Hemsworth and the others have their own individual ending stories that take Thor to a magnificent twilight. And there's also the unique relationship these characters now have with a broad cinema audience, for people who have grown up with them and their stories, I think it would be a very beautiful thing to take these characters to their own sunset. It could certainly be a very beautiful thing."
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Following the success of X-Men (2000), 20th Century Fox considered making a Thor TV series for UPN; Tyler Mane, who played Sabretooth in X-Men, was considered to play Thor, but the series never came to fruition. Mane was later rumored to play Thor in this film before Chris Hemsworth was cast.
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Contains a major spoiler — show
The Infinity Gauntlet is visible in Odin's Vault. Since Thanos had begun building the Infinity Gauntlet later in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor: Ragnarok (2017) corrected this inconsistency by having Hela claim that the Gauntlet and some of the items in the vault were fake.
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In the comics, Jane Foster is blonde and 5'7" tall, but Natalie Portman is a brunette and only 5'3" tall.
Thor (2011): Chris Hemsworth and Jane FosterImage: Wikimedia Commons · Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #105
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Tom Hiddleston and Natalie Portman were both born in 1981, four months apart: Hiddleston on 9 February and Portman on 9 June.
Thor (2011): Loki and Young ThorImage: Wikimedia Commons · rwoan, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #108
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Todd Schroeder, a Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy at USC, estimates that 50-75% of Marvel actors used performance-enhancing drugs to achieve their superhero physiques, though he stressed that he was speaking from his own expertise and observation rather than from first-hand treatment of the actors. Schroeder believed Chris Hemsworth was among the few whose physique was natural, explaining: "He was always in great shape. His family, his genetics; they all get into really good shape if they work a little bit, and so he took it to the next level. A lot of people say, 'Oh, he's definitely using steroids.' Well, my opinion? I'd say, 'No, he's not.'".
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Sir Kenneth Branagh explained that the film's use of Dutch angles was inspired by the comics: "It was more about the visual effect. In a world, in a story about gods, it was what struck you. I felt everything had a reason, and it was also a way of putting yourself behind it." He added, "I know there was a conversation at one point in one part of the Marvel universe about: 'What would it cost to flatten this out? A film?' And I'm happy to say that the cash cost of that process was far too exorbitant."
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Production Story (223)
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Jamie Dornan auditioned to play one of Thor's "smaller buddies," presumably Fandral. He later worked with Sir Kenneth Branagh on Belfast (2021) and A Haunting in Venice (2023). He said, "I talked to Ken about it but I don't think he even saw my tape, it was that bad."
Thor (2011): Young Thor and four people on a panelImage: Wikimedia Commons · Ronald Woan, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #122
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According to producer Kevin Feige, the Bifrost bridge is this movie's most interesting set: "In the comics, it's literally a rainbow that extends out from Asgard and pops down on Earth. We're not necessarily doing that. We're not having the big hard solid lines of colors. We're saying it's some sort of energy, almost a solid quartz bridge that, as the light catches it, and flows through it, you get some of that rainbow-esque quality to it."
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The white supremacist organization Council of Conservative Citizens boycotted the film over the casting of Sir Idris Elba as Nordic god Heimdall. Elba said, "It's so ridiculous. We have a man who has a flying hammer and wears horns on his head. And yet me being an actor of African descent playing a Norse god is unbelievable? I mean, Cleopatra was played by Elizabeth Taylor, and Gandhi was played by Ben Kingsley."
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Natalie Portman took the role of Jane Foster because she couldn't resist the opportunity of a comic book movie directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh: "I was just like, Kenneth Branagh doing 'Thor' is super-weird, I've gotta do it."
Thor (2011): Jane Foster and Young Thor, portraitImage: Wikimedia Commons · Benjamin Ellis, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #127
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Channing Tatum recalled his audition for Thor, "I didn't really want to be Thor, but I wanted to audition in front of Kenneth Branagh. After I did one take, [Branagh] was like, 'You're not allowed to move. Put your hands on this chair.' And I froze. He nailed my crutch. I spent the next five years really trying to learn stillness."
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Marvel Studios began developing the film in 2006, after Paramount acquired Thor's film rights from Sony. Mark Protosevich, himself a Thor fan, signed on to write, and he described his vision as "a superhero origin story... not one about a human gaining super powers, but of a god realizing his true potential. Matthew Vaughn was hired to direct, and he changed the story to a modern setting to save on costs. Vaughn eventually left the project, but his changes were retained.
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The final choice for the role of Thor came down to brothers Chris Hemsworth and Liam Hemsworth. Chris found it funny: "We both came all the way over here from Australia and ended up battling against each other." He, however, bore no ill-will towards Liam, claiming he was rooting for him to get the role. This marked the second time two siblings vied for the same superhero role, after Alec Baldwin and William Baldwin were both considered to play Batman in Batman Forever (1995), but lost the part to Val Kilmer.
Thor (2011): Chris Hemsworth and Young Thor in suits portraitImage: Wikimedia Commons · Benjamin Ellis, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #143
In 2026, Sir Kenneth Branagh expressed interest in returning to the Thor franchise, "Part of me would love to finish my relationship with that character. I'd always wanted to do more and indeed had a couple of ideas, more in the territory of James Mangold's brilliant Logan (2017). I would love to see Chris Hemsworth and the others have their own individual final story that takes Thor into a glorious twilight. And there's also this unique relationship with a large cinema audience that those characters now have that, for people who have grown up with them and their arc, I think it would be something very beautiful to take those characters into their own particular sunset. It could be a beautiful thing. I would love to see it, for sure."
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Based on the success of X-Men (2000), 20th Century Fox considered producing a Thor TV series for UPN, with Tyler Mane eyed to play Thor (he played Sabretooth in X-Men), but it never got off the ground. Mane was later rumored to play Thor in this movie before Chris Hemsworth was cast.
Thor (2011): Chris Hemsworth and Young Thor on a panelImage: Wikimedia Commons · Ronold Woan, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #145
Zachary Levi was approached for the role of Fandral, but had to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts. Dominic Cooper was rumored, but Stuart Townsend was then cast in the role. But a few days before filming began, he left the role because of creative differences with the filmmakers. Finally, Josh Dallas took the role. Levi played Fandral in Thor: The Dark World (2013) when Dallas was no longer available. Cooper played young Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
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Tom Hiddleston was chosen after previously collaborating with Sir Kenneth Branagh on the theatrical play "Ivanov" and the television series Wallander (2008).
Thor (2011): Tom Hiddleston as Loki at San Diego Comic-Con eventImage: Wikimedia Commons · Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #150
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Stan Lee approached Sam Raimi about working together after seeing his film Darkman (1990). Raimi wanted to make a Thor film, so he and Lee pitched the project to 20th Century Fox in 1991. The studio turned it down, saying, "Absolutely no. Comic books don't make good movies," despite the fact that Batman (1989) had been a critical and commercial success just two years prior. Raimi would later direct the Spider-Man trilogy and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).
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Brad Pitt was rumored for the role of Thor. Daniel Craig was the first choice, while Channing Tatum and WWE wrestler Paul Levesque (a.k.a. Triple H, a.k.a. Hunter Hearst Helmsley) were also considered. Charlie Hunnam, Tom Hiddleston, Alexander Skarsgård, Liam Hemsworth, and Joel Kinnaman screen-tested for the role, but finally Liam's brother Chris got the part.
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(at around 28 mins) Director Sir Kenneth Branagh asked Sir Anthony Hopkins to improvise his reaction to Thor's yelling at him in the banishment scene. Hopkins agreed, and when the scene was filmed, many of the cast and crew present were sobbing. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston later said they had to struggle to keep their composure during filming that scene. Hiddleston later complimented Hopkins, to which he said, "Ken's fantastic, isn't he?"
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This is the last Marvel Studios movie after Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010) and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) to be distributed through Paramount Pictures. The Walt Disney Company purchased Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in 2009, two years before this movie's release, and subsequently paid $115 million to Paramount Pictures for distribution rights to the subsequent Marvel Studios releases of The Avengers (2012) and Iron Man 3 (2013).
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Matthew Vaughn signed on to direct in 2007, and described his vision for the film as "the birth of a hero, interweaving Gladiator (2000) with Norse mythology." His deal with the studio expired in 2008, and Sir Kenneth Branagh was hired later that year. Vaughn went on to direct Kick-Ass (2010), X-Men: First Class (2011), and the Kingsman films, all based on Marvel Comics properties.
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According to director Sir Kenneth Branagh, this movie's biggest challenge was connecting the worlds of Asgard and twenty-first century Earth: "It's about finding the framing style, the color palette, finding the texture and the amount of camera movement that helps celebrate and express the differences and distinctions in those worlds. If it succeeds, it will mark this film as different. The combination of the primitive and the sophisticated, the ancient and the modern, I think that potentially is the exciting fusion, the exciting tension in the film."
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Ashley E. Miller and Zack Stentz were hired to write the film because of their resume of science fiction TV series like Andromeda (2000) and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008). Miller explained, "Marvel was looking for television writers because they were fast. Hopefully, they were a team because that was even faster. And hopefully, they knew science fiction and comic books, and hopefully hopefully hopefully, they knew Thor. I think we check off all the boxes."
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Sir Kenneth Branagh was immediately impressed with Natalie Portman's audition for Jane Foster. Screenwriter Zack Stentz recalled, "He was very taken with her. Not in a romantic way, but with her intelligence. Jane is a physicist, and we needed someone who could convey that intelligence. That's what struck him about her: he said, forgive me, 'Because the last thing we need is nuclear physicist Denise Richards.'" Richards played a nuclear physicist in The World Is Not Enough (1999) to widespread mockery.
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According to screenwriter Don Payne, Dr. Jane Foster was more of a stereotypical scientist (dry and skeptical), but Natalie Portman wished to revise the character to make her more poetic: "She thought Jane could be someone who thinks outside of the box, someone whose theories are considered outlandish, and are frowned upon by the scientific community. But it's the kind of thinking that leads to great discoveries. When Thor arrives, she's willing to take a leap of faith, and she has to pay the consequences for it."
Thor (2011): Jane Foster and Young Thor, conversation sceneImage: Wikimedia Commons · rwoan, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #169
According to producer Kevin Feige, the filmmakers placed the Foo Fighters song "Walk" in this movie because they thought its lyrics were strangely appropriate for this movie: "If you asked two months ago if we would have a Foo Fighters song in this movie, I would have said 'I don't think so.' But we heard the song, and it just has these eerily appropriate lyrics and themes. Ken (director Sir Kenneth Branagh), in particular, just loved it with these lyrics about learning to walk again, and the way that fit the themes of the movie about redemption and learning to be a hero."
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Three cast members were previously considered for other Marvel roles: * Natalie Portman as Elektra in Daredevil (2003) and Black Widow in Iron Man 2 (2010). * Ray Stevenson as Abomination in The Incredible Hulk (2008). * Chris Hemsworth as Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009).
Thor (2011): Chris Hemsworth and Jane Foster on stage with microphonesImage: Wikimedia Commons · Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #171
Sir Kenneth Branagh conceptualized this movie as a Norse and comic book twist on William Shakespeare's Henry V (1989), which was about a young King who underwent trials and tribulations: fighting a war, courting a girl from another land, trying to live up to the example set by his father (a beloved King), and basic character development.
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Guillermo del Toro was in talks to direct. He said, "I'm a fan of [Jack] Kirby and the power he has, and I'm a fan of the original mythology, so I thought we could go back to the original mythology a lot. I love Loki, I think he's a great figure." This would've been his fourth comic book film, after Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004), and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008).
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According to screenwriter Zack Stentz, Marvel stressed the importance of presenting Loki as an effective villain, since he was already set to be the main antagonist in The Avengers (2012). He recalled, "The singular mandate above all other mandates was that they wanted Loki to be the villain for 'The Avengers.' They literally said, 'If you fail at everything else, please just give us a villain as good as Magneto in Loki.'"
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Marvel was unimpressed with Chris Hemsworth's original audition for Thor, and initially passed on him as a candidate. Hemsworth then worked on The Cabin in the Woods (2011), and Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, the director and writer, respectively, encouraged him to try again. He filmed another audition tape, with his mother reading Odin's lines, and the filmmakers were convinced he was right for the part. Sir Kenneth Branagh recalled, "When he came in for a screen test and told a story of Thor's exploits, he did it with such relish, such fun, a sense of danger. He was able to occupy the character of Thor in a way that seemed just right to us." After Hemsworth was cast, Goddard and Whedon gave him a collection of the comic book "The Ultimates" to read in preparation.
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Screenwriter Zack Stentz said Sir Kenneth Branagh was the first to realize Chris Hemsworth was the right choice to play Thor. He explained, "If you remember, when they announced Hemsworth, it was like, 'Who? Captain Kirk's dad? This skinny Australian surfer?' The thing with Branagh is, he just has a freaking unparalleled eye for casting. He's so good at it. That's what we would tell people: 'If Ken says he's the guy, then he's the guy.' Indeed, he saw things in Hemsworth that I think not a lot of people had until that point. With these superhero movies, I think casting is seventy-five percent of it right there. You put the right actor in the role - as opposed to the almost-right actor - and it's magic."
Thor (2011): Young Thor, conversation sceneImage: Wikimedia Commons · Ronald Woan, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #180
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Marvel Studios began developing the film in 2006 after Paramount acquired the film rights to Thor from Sony. Mark Protosevich, himself a Thor fan, signed on to write and described his vision as "a superhero origin story… not about a man gaining superpowers, but about a god realizing his true potential. Matthew Vaughn was hired as director and he transformed the story to a modern setting to save on costs. Vaughn eventually left the project but his changes were retained.
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In May 2000 Marvel Studios enlisted Artisan Entertainment to help finance Thor as a film, but by June 2004 no studio had yet backed the project; Sony Pictures Entertainment then bought the film rights, and in December 2004 David S. Goyer was negotiating to write and direct, though by 2005 he was no longer interested while the film was still set for distribution through Sony Pictures.
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The final choice for the role of Thor came down to brothers Chris Hemsworth and Liam Hemsworth. Chris found it funny: "We both came all the way over here from Australia and ended up battling against each other." However, he had no ill will toward Liam and claimed he supported him in getting the role. This meant that, after Alec Baldwin and William Baldwin were considered to play Batman in Batman Forever (1995), it was the second time two brothers competed for the same superhero role, only to lose it to Val Kilmer.
- #210
(At about 47 minutes) Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) mentions a colleague involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. whom he describes as "a pioneer in gamma radiation." This implies Bruce Banner, whose gamma radiation experiments turned him into The Incredible Hulk (2008). A deleted scene also mentions Hank Pym from Ant-Man (2015).
- #211
(At about the 28th minute) Director Sir Kenneth Branagh asked Sir Anthony Hopkins to improvise his reaction to Thor shouting at him in the banishment scene. Hopkins agreed, and when the scene was shot, most of the cast and crew present were crying. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston later said they had to struggle to keep their composure while shooting that scene. Hiddleston later complimented Hopkins, saying: "Ken's fantastic, isn't he?"
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At the feast at the end of the film, a Roman god (Nabil Nona) is seen. In Marvel comics, the Norse and Greco-Roman gods (the Asgardians and the Olympians, respectively) know each other. The gods Thor and Hercules are very good friends and Avengers allies; Hercules was to make his debut with Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
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This film and the comic book's version of Norse mythology differ in some ways from actual Norse myth: * Odin lost an eye in his war with the Jotuns. In Norse legend, he gave up an eye to gain cosmic wisdom. * In Norse legend, Loki is Odin's foster brother, not Thor's. * Laufey was originally Loki's mother, not his father (in Iceland this change was found amusing because Laufey is still a popular female name there).
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Sir Kenneth Branagh conceptualized this film as a Norse and comic book adaptation of William Shakespeare's Henry V (1989), which was about a young King facing trials and tribulations such as going to war, courting a girl from another country, trying to live up to the example set by his father (a beloved King), and fundamental character development.
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Sir Anthony Hopkins claims he related to the role of Odin: "I'm a bit like Odin, too. He's a tough man. He's a man with a purpose. I'm playing the god who banished his son from Asgard, because he screwed everything up. He's a hot-headed, sullen young man, probably part of the old block, but I decided he wasn't really ready to rule the kingdom in the future, and so I banished him. I'm tough and my wife complains and I say, 'That's why I'm King.'"
- #227
Tom Hiddleston researched Marvel Comics' Loki and found him to be a multi-dimensional character, and based his performance as Loki on three different actors: Peter O'Toole (the enigmatic, carefree personality), Jack Nicholson (the irritable and almost crazed personality) and Clint Eastwood (the seething, angry personality). Hiddleston also noted the influences of Alan Rickman in Die Hard (1988) and James Mason in North by Northwest (1959): "They're all characters about control and revenge. As a kid I could love those performances… I think I was so drawn to those performances because they seemed to be having such a great time playing these villains. And that was part of the appeal. Even if they weren't at the center of those films, they were very charismatic."
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According to producer Kevin Feige, the Bifrost bridge is the film's most interesting set: "In the comics, it's literally a rainbow that extends from Asgard and comes down to Earth. We're not necessarily doing that. We don't have big, hard, flat lines of color. We say it's a kind of energy, almost a solid quartz bridge, and as light catches it and flows through it, you give it a rainbow-like quality."
- #233
The artifacts seen in the Asgardian weapons vault are among the various mystical objects seen in Marvel comics. In chronological order, these are: * The Tuning Fork, a device capable of summoning monsters. * The Tablet of Life and Time, a tablet that can extend a person's lifespan. * The Eye of the Sorcerer, an artifact that can control people's minds. * The Eternal Flame, a mystical fire that cannot be extinguished (it played a significant role in Thor: Ragnarok (2017)). * The Casket of Ancient Winters, a magical vessel filled with icy winds (it plays a significant role in this film). * The Infinity Gauntlet, a glove studded with six gems that alter reality.
- #234
(Around 50 minutes) While Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) is looking at a book on Norse Mythology in the library, there is an illustration showing Odin walking across the Bifröst bridge with the spear Gungnir in one hand and the Tesseract in the other. In Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Red Skull mentions that the Tesseract is the jewel of Odin's treasure room.
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The film draws extensively on actual Norse mythology (the basis of the "Thor" comic book): * The war between the Asgardians and the Jotunns was based on the Aesir-Vanir War (the Jotunns were actually not an enemy race). * Odin's (Sir Anthony Hopkins) ravens Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory), who gather information in Midgard (Earth) and relay it to Odin, sit on his throne during Thor's coronation. * The symbol seen in the weapons vault and on Mjölnir is the triquetra, a religious symbol. Its ancestor is the valknut, a Germanic symbol associated with Odin. * Bifrost, originally thought of by the Norse as a rainbow, is shown as a rainbow beam of light. * Heimdall's golden observatory is based on Himinbjorg, Heimdall's home. * When Odin appears in Jotunheim, he rides his eight-legged horse Sleipnir. * A Jotun once called Thor (Chris Hemsworth) "little Princess;" Thor's hammer was stolen and he dressed as the love goddess Freya to get it back. * Fandral (Josh Dallas) and Thor describe Loki (Tom Hiddleston) as a mischievous and skilled liar, a nod to Loki's title as the god of mischief and lies. * Thor asks for a cat to ride. Thor's mother Frigga's (Rene Russo) chariot is pulled by two large blue cats. * Thor shows Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) a drawing of a junction containing nine spheres; her perception and representation of it show Yggdrasil, a great tree around which the nine worlds are connected and which forms the universe.
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In the town, there is a billboard advertising New Mexico tourism with the slogan "Land of Enchantment - Journey into Mystery." "Land of Enchantment" is New Mexico's nickname, and "Journey into Mystery" is the name of the Marvel comic book in which Thor made his debut (Journey into Mystery #83).
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(At about the 9th minute) It is mentioned that Thor's Hammer Mjölnir was forged inside "a dying star." This actually carries a degree of scientific meaning. When a very large star dies in a supernova, its remnants sometimes collapse to form a "neutron star." These objects compress the mass of the sun into the size of a city, creating a new type of matter called "neutronium." A single teaspoon of this material would weigh billions of tons. If Mjölnir were made of this material, that would certainly explain its incredible weight.
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Director Sir Kenneth Branagh and Tom Hiddleston were performing in the West End stage production of "Ivanov" when it was announced that Branagh would direct this film. Hiddleston recalled that one night at the 2010 Empire Movie Con, as a joke, he grabbed an empty plastic container like a water cooler to stand in for Mjölnir, burst into Branagh's dressing room and shouted, "Come on, Ken, what do you think!?" Branagh's reaction was reportedly quite playful: "You never know, darling, stranger things have happened." Two months later, Hiddleston was auditioning for Thor before taking on the role of Loki.
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(At about 1 hour 18 minutes) S.H.I.E.L.D. agents tracking the Asgardians in search of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) see Sif (Jaimie Alexander), Fandral (Josh Dallas) and Hogun (Tadanobu Asano), but they do not see Volstagg (Ray Stevenson). In a deleted scene, Volstagg knocked out the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. They tracked them by their food and then stole it.
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According to director Sir Kenneth Branagh, the greatest challenge of this film was connecting the worlds of Asgard with the Earth of the twenty-first century: "It was about finding the framing style, the color palette, the texture and the amount of camera movement that helps celebrate and express the differences and the distinctions in those worlds. If it works, it will put its own stamp on this film. The combination of the primitive and the sophisticated, the ancient and the modern, is, I think, potentially the exciting combination, the exciting tension in the film."
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In the DVD audio commentary, director Sir Kenneth Branagh explains that the shot filmed near the end, in which Jane Foster and her friends work in their laboratory, was actually supposed to be the opening shot of this film, and that the closing title sequence of the Nine Realms was originally planned as a prologue.
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In this film, the Casket of Ancient Winters was held by the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. In the comics, it was held by the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, particularly by their leader, the Accursed Malekith. In this film, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) holds the Casket and asks Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins) whether he is accursed, as a tribute to Malekith.
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According to producer Kevin Feige, the producers placed the Foo Fighters song "Walk" in this film because they thought the lyrics were strangely appropriate for the film: "If you had asked me two months ago whether there would be a Foo Fighters song in this film, I would have said, 'I don't think so.' But we heard the song, and it has eerily appropriate lyrics and themes. Ken (director Sir Kenneth Branagh) in particular loved these lyrics about learning to walk again and how they fit the film's themes of redemption and learning to be a hero."
- #261
The Science & Entertainment Exchange collaborated with the filmmakers and three physicists (Sean Carroll, Kevin Hand and Jim Hartle, as well as physics student Kevin Hickerson) on the film's design and production in order to provide a realistic scientific background for this film. This collaboration resulted in Jane Foster's profession changing from nurse to physicist and the use of the term "Einstein-Rosen bridge" (named after Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen) to describe the Bifröst.
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For this film, a model of the Infinity Gauntlet, a very powerful weapon in the "Marvel Comics" universe capable of controlling various aspects of reality (soul, time, space, reality, power and mind), was created. The model is made of bronze and copper (with jewels made of resin) and weighs sixty kilograms. It was built to be functional so that animatronics could be built on top of it.
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Zachary Levi was approached for the role of Fandral, but had to turn down the offer due to scheduling conflicts. Dominic Cooper was said to be in the running, but Stuart Townsend was later cast in the role. However, a few days before filming began, he left the role due to creative differences with the producers. In the end, Josh Dallas took on the role. Levi played Fandral in Thor: The Dark World (2013), when Dallas was no longer available. Cooper played a young Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
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When Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) burst out of the Bifrost during their battle, you can see that Loki has actually created his own illusion. If you look closely, you can see Loki split in two, with his real self flying off the left side of the screen and the illusion he used to trick Thor clinging to the edge of the rainbow bridge.
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Marvel Studios began developing the film in 2006, after Paramount acquired the film rights to Thor from Sony. Mark Protosevich, himself a Thor fan, signed on to write and described his vision as "a superhero origin story… not about a man gaining superpowers, but about a god who realizes his true potential. Matthew Vaughn was hired as director, and he in turn moved the story to a modern setting to save on costs. Vaughn eventually left the project, but his changes were kept.
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Volstagg (Ray Stevenson) was generally based on John Falstaff from William Shakespeare's "Henry IV Parts 1 and 2." Stevenson wore a specially designed thick suit that gave Volstagg a round but tough look for the role: "What we did was a kind of sexiness to Volstagg. He has a Falstaffian zest and vigor, enough to suggest a tremendous appetite, and a bit of a beer belly, but he's not the Weeble-shaped figure from the comics. He's a muscular Falstaff." Falstaff often exaggerates or lies about his courage, strength and battlefield achievements to entertain his friends. Toward the end, in the banquet scene, Volstagg can be seen doing the same thing.
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Early in the story, Thor is told that Mjolnir landed 50 miles west of the town. When the Destroyer attacks and Thor's hammer returns to him, the flight takes 20 seconds. This appears to show the events in real time, with no cuts for dramatic effect, meaning Mjolnir's average speed is roughly Mach 12, or about 9,000 miles per hour.
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There were rumors of Brad Pitt for the role of Thor. Daniel Craig was the first choice, while Channing Tatum and WWE wrestler Paul Levesque (aka Triple H, aka Hunter Hearst Helmsley) were also considered. Charlie Hunnam, Tom Hiddleston, Alexander Skarsgård, Liam Hemsworth and Joel Kinnaman screen-tested for the role, but in the end Chris, Liam's brother, won the part.
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According to Sean Carroll, the film's science advisor, the Bifröst is called a wormhole and should have been called that, but producer Kevin Feige felt it was "too 1990s" a term to use (given that the Stargate series popularized the phrase and also featured Norse gods). So a more specific scientific term was used: "Einstein-Rosen Bridge."
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Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) researches Thor's (Chris Hemsworth's) legendary history and finds that "Thursday" is derived from "Thor's Day." In Norway, Sweden and Denmark, all the weekdays come from Norse mythology: Tuesday is tirsdag (Tyr's day), Wednesday is onsdag (Odin's day) and Friday is fredag (Frey's day). Sunday and Monday are celebrated in honor of Sol (sun) and Måne (moon). Saturday is lørdag, coming from Laugardag, the washing day.
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Chris Pratt auditioned for "to be one of the sidekick guys" (probably Fandral). He recalled, "I didn't get a callback. Usually they give you a little feedback and I remember the casting director saying 'Wow. You really made a big choice there.' That's a code for: 'Hey, turn down the acting there, buddy.' It got to the point where I could never audition for Marvel again. 'This is so stupid; I'm never going to be in a Marvel movie.'" He eventually took on the role of Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
- #288
After watching Darkman (1990), Stan Lee approached Sam Raimi about working together. Raimi wanted to make a Thor film, so he and Lee pitched the project to 20. Century Fox in 1991. Although Batman (1989) had been a critical and commercial success only two years earlier, the studio turned down the offer, saying ""Absolutely no. Comic books don't make good movies."" Raimi would later direct the Spider-Man trilogy and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).
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The white supremacist Conservative Citizens Council boycotted the film over the casting of Sir Idris Elba as the Norse god Heimdall. Elba said, "It's so absurd. We have a guy with a flying hammer on his head and wearing horns. But is it unbelievable that I, an actor of African descent, play a Norse god? I mean, Elizabeth Taylor played Cleopatra and Ben Kingsley played Gandhi."
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Guillermo del Toro was in talks to direct. He said: "I'm a fan of [Jack] Kirby and the power he had, and I'm a fan of the original mythology, so I thought we could go back more to the original mythology. I love Loki, I think he's a great figure." It would have been his fourth comic book film after Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008).
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Following Jeff Bridges in Iron Man (2008), William Hurt and Tim Roth in The Incredible Hulk (2008), and Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell in Iron Man 2 (2010), this is the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe not to feature an Oscar nominee or winner as the main antagonist or villain.
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Screenwriter Zack Stentz said Sir Kenneth Branagh was the first person to realize Chris Hemsworth was the right choice to play Thor. He explained: "If you remember, when they announced Hemsworth it was like, 'Who? Captain Kirk's father? Was that the skinny Australian surfer?' The thing about Branagh is that he has an unmatched eye for casting. He's very good at it. We tell people: 'If Ken says that guy is that guy, then he is that guy.' In fact, he saw things in Hemsworth that I don't think many people could see up to that point. I think casting is seventy-five percent of these superhero movies. You put not almost the right actor but the right actor in the role, and it's magic."
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(At about 1 hour 28 minutes) When Thor retrieves Mjölnir, he is briefly seen standing upright, surrounded by lightning. This is a tribute to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983), in which Prince Adam's transformation into He-Man shows him in a similar position surrounded by lightning. He-Man rides a giant cat, like Thor's mother Frigga. Chris Hemsworth was a popular choice for the role of He-Man in Masters of the Universe (2026), but he did not want the role because he resembled Thor too much. His co-star Sir Idris Elba (Heimdall) would later appear in the film as He-Man's ally Man-At-Arms.
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According to screenwriter Zack Stentz, Marvel stressed the importance of presenting Loki as an effective villain, since he had already been set as the main antagonist of The Avengers (2012). He recalled, "The one mandate above all others was that they wanted Loki to be the villain of 'The Avengers.' They literally said: 'If you fail at everything else, please give us a villain as good as Magneto in Loki.'"
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Ashley E. Miller and Zack Stentz were hired to write the film because of their sci-fi series résumés, such as Andromeda (2000) and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008). Miller explained: "Marvel was looking for television writers because they're fast. I hope they've become a team because that was even faster. And I hope they knew sci-fi and comic books, and I hope, I hope they knew Thor. I think we tick all the boxes."
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Sir Kenneth Branagh was immediately impressed by Natalie Portman's audition for Jane Foster. Screenwriter Zack Stentz recalled: "He was very impressed by her. Not in a romantic way, but by her intelligence. Jane is a physicist and we needed someone who could convey that intelligence. That's what impressed him about her: forgive me, 'Because the last thing we need is nuclear physicist Denise Richards.'" Richards played a nuclear physicist in The World Is Not Enough (1999), a performance widely mocked.
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Marvel was not impressed by Chris Hemsworth's first audition for Thor and initially accepted him as a candidate. Hemsworth later worked on The Cabin in the Woods (2011), and director and writer Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon respectively encouraged him to try again. He made another audition tape, with his mother reading Odin's lines, and the producers were convinced he was right for the role. Sir Kenneth Branagh recalled: "When he came in for the screen test and told a story about Thor's exploits, he did it with such relish, such fun and such a sense of danger. He managed to seize the character of Thor in a way that seemed exactly right to us." After Hemsworth was cast, Goddard and Whedon gave him a collection of the comic book "The Ultimates" to read in preparation.
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In 2026, Sir Kenneth Branagh expressed interest in returning to the Thor series: "Part of me would love to finish my relationship with this character. I always wanted to do more, and I really had a few ideas, more in the vein of James Mangold's magnificent Logan (2017). I would love to see Chris Hemsworth and the others have their own individual final stories that take Thor to a magnificent twilight. And there's also the unique relationship these characters now have with a broad cinema audience, for people who have grown up with them and their stories; I think it would be a beautiful thing to take these characters to their own sunset. It could certainly be a very beautiful thing.
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Channing Tatum recalled his Thor audition: "I actually didn't want to be Thor, but I wanted to audition in front of Kenneth Branagh. After one take, [Branagh] said: 'You're not allowed to move. Put your hands on this chair.' And I froze. He nailed my crutch. I spent the next five years really trying to learn stillness."
- #325
20th Century Fox, building on the success of X-Men (2000), considered making a Thor TV series for UPN; Tyler Mane, who played Sabretooth in X-Men, was considered to play Thor, but the series never came to fruition. It was later said that Mane would play Thor in this film before Chris Hemsworth was cast.
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Todd Schroeder, a Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy at USC, estimates that 50-75% of Marvel actors used performance-enhancing drugs to achieve superhero physiques, though he stressed that he was speaking from his own expertise and observation, not from first-hand treatment of the actors. However, Schroeder believed Chris Hemsworth was among the few whose physique was natural, explaining: "He was always in very good shape. His family, his genetics; they all get into really good shape if they work a little bit, and so he took it to the next level. A lot of people say, 'Oh, he's definitely using steroids.' My opinion? I'd say, 'No, he's not.'"
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Sir Kenneth Branagh explained that the film's use of Dutch angles was inspired by the comics: "It was more about the visual effect. In a world, in a story about gods, it was what struck you. I felt like everything had a reason, and it was also a way of putting yourself behind it." He added, "I know there was a conversation at one point in one part of the Marvel universe about: 'What would it cost to flatten this out? A film?' And I'm happy to say the cash cost of that process was too prohibitive."
Behind the Scenes (33)
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Chris Hemsworth bulked up to such an extent before his screentest that the original costume (which was designed for a specific size) began cutting the circulation off in his arms and legs when he tried it on for the first time.
Thor (2011): Chris Hemsworth speaking into a microphoneImage: Wikimedia Commons · Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #350
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In the DVD audio commentary, director Sir Kenneth Branagh reveals that the shot near the end with Jane Foster and her associates working in their lab was actually meant to be the opening shot of this movie, and that the closing title sequence of the Nine Realms was originally planned to be the prologue.
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Sir Kenneth Branagh explained that the film's use of Dutch angles was inspired by the comic books, "It was just more about visual impact. It was just what would hit you in a world, in a story about gods. I felt as though there was a reason for everything, and it was also the way you could put yourself behind it." He added, "I know there was a conversation at some point in some part of the Marvel universe where they had a conversation about, 'What would it cost to horizontalize this movie?' And I am glad to say that the cash price for that process was so prohibitive."
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To prepare for his role as Loki, Tom Hiddleston trained in the Brazilian martial art of capoeira.
Thor (2011): Someone in Loki costume speaks into a microphoneImage: Wikimedia Commons · Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #356
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Todd Schroeder, Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy at USC, estimated that 50-75% of Marvel actors used performance-enhancing drugs to achieve their superhero physiques, though emphasized that he was speaking from his own expertise and observation, not firsthand treatment of the actors. However, Schroeder believed Chris Hemsworth was among the few whose physiques were natural, explaining, "He's always been in really good shape. His family, his genetics - they all, if they work out a little bit, they get in really good shape, and so he's taken it to the next level. A lot of people say, 'Oh, he does steroids, for sure.' And my opinion? I would say, 'No, he does not.'"
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According to Chris Hemsworth, the action coordinators experimented with different combat styles, but ultimately the fighting technique Thor utilizes is an original one, based on boxing: stance low to the ground, with big powerful hip movements.
Thor (2011): Chris Hemsworth speaking at a panel with a microphoneImage: Wikimedia Commons · Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0 - #361
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A model of the Infinity Gauntlet, an all-powerful weapon capable of controlling aspects of reality (soul, time, space, reality, power, and mind) in the "Marvel Comics" universe, was constructed for this movie. The model is made from bronze and copper (with jewels made from resin) and weighs sixty pounds. It was built to be operational, so that animatronics could be built on it.
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(At about 28 minutes) Director Sir Kenneth Branagh asked Sir Anthony Hopkins to improvise his reaction to Thor shouting at him in the banishment scene. Hopkins agreed, and when the scene was shot, most of the cast and crew present were crying. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston later said they had to struggle to keep their composure while filming that scene. Hiddleston later praised Hopkins, saying: "Ken's fantastic, isn't he?"
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According to director Sir Kenneth Branagh, the greatest challenge of this film was connecting the worlds of Asgard with the twenty-first-century Earth: "It was about finding the framing style, the color palette, the texture and the amount of camera movement that helps celebrate and express the differences and the distinctions in those worlds. If it works, it will mark this film in a different way. The combination of the primitive and the sophisticated, the ancient and the modern, I think that's potentially the exciting union, the exciting tension in the film."
- #370
A model of the Infinity Gauntlet, a very powerful weapon from the "Marvel Comics" universe capable of controlling various aspects of reality (soul, time, space, reality, power and mind), was created for this film. The model is made of bronze and copper (with jewels made of resin) and weighs sixty kilograms. It was built to be functional so that animatronics could be built on top of it.
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In March 2011, scenes featuring Adriana Barraza were cut from Thor's theatrical version during editing; director Kenneth Branagh sent her a letter of apology explaining the reasons and expressing a wish to work with her again. Barraza said the decision saddened her but that she understood the nature of films, and she appears in only one scene of the theatrical cut.
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Characters & Cast (60)
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Although Tadanobu Asano (Hogun) appeared in several Japanese movies based on anime and manga comics, this is his first adaptation of an American comic book.
Thor (2011): HogunImage: Wikimedia Commons · Mingle MediaTV, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #379
Volstagg (Ray Stevenson) was loosely based on John Falstaff from William Shakespeare's "Henry IV Parts 1 and 2." For the role, Stevenson wore a specially designed fat suit that gave Volstagg a round, but tough, appearance: "What we've done is kind of sex Volstagg up. He has every bit of that Falstaffian verve and vigor, and a bit of a beer gut, to suggest an enormous appetite, but he's not the Weeble-shaped figure in the comics. He's Falstaff with muscles." Falstaff frequently exaggerates or lies about his bravery, strength, and accomplishments on the battlefield, to the amusement of his friends. In the banquet scene near the end, Volstagg can be seen doing the same thing.
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Chris Pratt auditioned "to be one of the sidekick guys," presumably Fandral. He recalled, "I didn't get a callback. Usually, they give you a little bit of feedback, and I remember the casting director goes, 'Wow. You really made a big choice there.' Which is code for like: 'Hey, dial back the acting there, guy.' It got to the point where I was never gonna audition for Marvel again. I was like, 'This is stupid; I'm never gonna be in a Marvel movie.'" He ended up being cast as Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
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Tom Hiddleston described his role of Loki as "a comic book, but nastier version, of King Lear's Edmund." In the William Shakespeare play, Edmund was the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester, who was jealous of his legitimate brother Edgar, and tricked his father into banishing him into exile.
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Sir Anthony Hopkins claims he relates to his role of Odin: "I'm a little like Odin myself. He's a stern man. He's a man with purpose. I play the god who banishes his son from Asgard, because he screwed up. He's a hot-headed, temperamental young man, probably a chip off of the old block, but I decide he's not really ready to rule the future kingdom, so I banish him. I'm harsh, and my wife complains, and I say 'That is why I'm King.'"
Thor (2011): Odin, portraitImage: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 - #390
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Tom Hiddleston researched Marvel Comics' Loki, and found him to be a multi-dimensional character, and based his performance as Loki on three different actors: Peter O'Toole (enigmatic reckless persona), Jack Nicholson (edgy and nearly insane persona), and Clint Eastwood (persona with simmering anger). Hiddleston also cited Alan Rickman in Die Hard (1988) and James Mason in North by Northwest (1959) as influences: "Those are all characters that are about control and revenge. I might just love those performances as a child... I just was so drawn to those performances as they seemed to be having such a wonderful time playing these antagonists, I suppose. And that was part of the charm. They were so charismatic, even though they weren't at the center of those films."
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The final choice for the role of Thor came down to brothers Chris Hemsworth and Liam Hemsworth. Chris found it funny: "We both came all the way over here from Australia and ended up battling against each other." He claimed he had no ill will toward Liam and supported him getting the role. This meant it was the second time two brothers competed for the same superhero role, after Alec Baldwin and William Baldwin were considered to play Batman in Batman Forever (1995), only for the role to go to Val Kilmer.
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Director Sir Kenneth Branagh and Tom Hiddleston were performing in the West End stage production of "Ivanov" when Branagh was announced as the director of this film. At the 2010 Empire Movie Con, Hiddleston recalled that one night, as a joke, he grabbed an empty plastic container like a water cooler to stand in for Mjölnir, burst into Branagh's dressing room and shouted, "Come on, Ken, what do you think!?" Branagh's reaction was reportedly a rather playful "You never know, darling, stranger things have happened." Two months later, Hiddleston was auditioning for Thor before taking on the role of Loki.
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Zachary Levi was approached for the role of Fandral, but had to turn down the offer due to scheduling conflicts. Dominic Cooper was said to be taking the role, but Stuart Townsend was later cast. However, he left the role a few days before filming began due to creative differences with the producers. Josh Dallas ultimately took the role. Levi played Fandral in Thor: The Dark World (2013), when Dallas was no longer available. Cooper played young Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
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Volstagg (Ray Stevenson) was generally based on John Falstaff from William Shakespeare's "Henry IV Parts 1 and 2." Stevenson wore a specially designed thick suit that gave Volstagg a round but tough appearance for the role: "What we did was a kind of sexiness to Volstagg. He has a Falstaffian gusto and vigor that suggests a tremendous appetite, and a bit of a beer belly, but he's not the Weeble-shaped figure from the comics. He is a muscular Falstaff." Falstaff often exaggerates or lies about his courage, strength and battlefield achievements to entertain his friends. Toward the end, in the banquet scene, Volstagg can be seen doing the same thing.
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There were rumors of Brad Pitt for the role of Thor. Daniel Craig was the first choice, while Channing Tatum and WWE wrestler Paul Levesque (aka Triple H, also known as Hunter Hearst Helmsley) were also considered. Charlie Hunnam, Tom Hiddleston, Alexander Skarsgård, Liam Hemsworth and Joel Kinnaman screen-tested for the role, but Chris, Liam's brother, ultimately won the part.
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Chris Pratt auditioned for "to be one of the sidekick guys" (possibly Fandral). He recalled, "I didn't get a callback. Usually they give you a little feedback and I remember the casting director going, 'Wow. You really made a big choice there.' That's code for: 'Hey, turn down the acting there, buddy.' It got to the point where I was never going to audition for Marvel again. 'This is so stupid; I'm never going to be in a Marvel movie.'" He ultimately took the role of Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
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Contains a major spoiler — show
At roughly 1 hour 28 minutes, when Thor reclaims Mjölnir, he is briefly seen standing upright surrounded by lightning. This is a homage to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983), in which Prince Adam's transformation into He-Man shows him in a similar position surrounded by lightning. He-Man rides a giant cat, as does Thor's mother Frigga. Chris Hemsworth was a popular choice to play He-Man in Masters of the Universe (2026), but he did not want the role because it was too similar to Thor. His co-star Sir Idris Elba (Heimdall) would later appear in the film as He-Man's ally Man-At-Arms.
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Sir Kenneth Branagh was immediately impressed by Natalie Portman's audition for Jane Foster. Screenwriter Zack Stentz recalled: "He was very taken with her. Not in a romantic way, but with her intelligence. Jane is a physicist and we needed someone who could convey that intelligence. That was what impressed him about her: forgive me, 'Because the last thing we need is nuclear physicist Denise Richards.'" Richards played a nuclear physicist in The World Is Not Enough (1999), a performance widely mocked.
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Marvel was not impressed by Chris Hemsworth's first audition for Thor and initially ruled him out as a candidate. Hemsworth later worked on The Cabin in the Woods (2011), and its director and writer, Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, encouraged him to try again. He taped another audition, with his mother reading Odin's lines, and the producers became convinced he was right for the role. Sir Kenneth Branagh recalled: "When he came in for the screen test and told a story about Thor's exploits, he did it with such relish, such fun and such a sense of danger. He managed to capture the character of Thor in a way that seemed exactly right to us." After Hemsworth was cast, Goddard and Whedon gave him a collection of the comic book "The Ultimates" to read in preparation.
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Channing Tatum recalled his Thor audition: "I didn't actually want to be Thor, but I wanted to audition in front of Kenneth Branagh. After doing a take, [Branagh] said: 'You're not allowed to move. Put your hands on this chair.' And I froze. He nailed my crutch. I spent the next five years really trying to learn stillness."
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Easter Eggs & References (27)
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The artifacts seen in the Asgard weapons vault are of various mystical objects seen in the Marvel comics. They are, in chronological appearance: * The Tuning Fork, a device that can summon monsters. * The Tablet of Life and Time, a slab that can extend one's lifetime. * The Warlock's Eye, an artifact that can control people's minds. * The Eternal Flame, a mystical fire that cannot be extinguished (played a major role in Thor: Ragnarok (2017)). * The Casket of Ancient Winters, an enchanted container filled with frosty winds (plays a major role in this movie). * The Infinity Gauntlet, a glove encrusted with six reality-bending jewels.
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In this movie, the Casket of Ancient Winters was held by the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. In the comics, it was held by the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, in particular, their leader Malekith the Accursed. In this movie, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) holds the Casket, and asks Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins) if he is accursed, an homage to Malekith.
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Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) researches Thor's (Chris Hemsworth's) mythical history, finding that "Thursday" is derived from "Thor's Day." In Norwegian, Swedish and Danish, all of the weekdays are from Norse mythology: Tuesday is tirsdag (Tyr's day), Wednesday is onsdag (Odin's day) and Friday is fredag (Frey's day). Sunday and Monday are in honor of Sol (the sun) and Måne (the moon). Saturday is lørdag, coming from laugardag, washing day.
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(at around 47 mins) Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) mentions a comrade who got mixed up with S.H.I.E.L.D., whom he described as "a pioneer in gamma radiation." This alludes to Bruce Banner, whose experiments in gamma radiation mutated him into The Incredible Hulk (2008). A deleted scene also has him mention Hank Pym, from Ant-Man (2015).
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There is a billboard in the town advertising for New Mexico tourism with the slogan "Land of Enchantment - Journey into Mystery." "Land of Enchantment" is the nickname of New Mexico, "Journey into Mystery" is the title of the Marvel comic book where Thor made his debut (Journey Into Mystery #83).
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In the 2014 "Thor" comics, Loki was designed to look like Tom Hiddleston for a brief time.
Thor (2011): Loki and Young Thor sit on a panelImage: Wikimedia Commons · rwoan, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #451
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Contains a major spoiler — show
(at around 1h 18 mins) When the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents track the Asgardians in search of Thor (Chris Hemsworth), they spot Sif (Jaimie Alexander), Fandral (Josh Dallas), and Hogun (Tadanobu Asano), but not Volstagg (Ray Stevenson). A deleted scene has Volstagg knock out the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, having tracked them by their food, and then steal it.
- #456
Contains a major spoiler — show
The Infinity Gauntlet appears in Odin's Vault. As later on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thanos had started to construct the Infinity Gauntlet, Thor: Ragnarok (2017) fixed this inconsistency by having Hela claim that the Gauntlet and some of the items in the vault were fakes.
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Contains a major spoiler — show
A Roman god (Nabil Nona) is seen in the banquet at the end of this movie. In the Marvel comics, the Norse and Greco-Roman gods (Asgardians and Olympians respectively) know of each other. The gods Thor and Hercules are best friends, and fellow Avengers; Hercules would make his debut in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
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Contains a major spoiler — show
The artifact that Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) shows to Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) in the post-credits scene (which played a major part in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and The Avengers (2012)), is the Tesseract, identified to be the Infinity Stone of Space (a component of the Infinity Gauntlet). It is also based on the Cosmic Cube, a cube-shaped artifact of power.
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Contains a major spoiler — show
Early in the story, Thor is told Mjolnir landed 50 miles west of town. When the Destroyer attacks and Thor's hammer returns to him, the flight takes 20 seconds. This appears to show events in real-time, no trimming events for dramatic effect, meaning Mjolnir's average speed was roughly mach 12 - about 9,000 mph.
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Deeper Meaning (20)
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When Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) burst from the Bifrost during their battle, you can actually see Loki create an illusion of himself. Look closely and you can see that Loki splits in two, with his real self flying off the left side of the screen, and the illusion he used to trick Thor falling and clinging to the side of the rainbow bridge.
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Contains a major spoiler — show
This movie and comic's version of Norse mythology has certain differences from actual Norse myth: * Odin lost an eye in a battle with the Jotuns. In Norse legend, he gave up an eye to obtain cosmic wisdom. * In Norse legend, Loki is Odin's adopted brother, not Thor's. * Laufey was originally Loki's mother, and not his father (this change was found amusing in Iceland, since Laufey is still a popular female name there).
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(At about 47 minutes) Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) mentions a colleague involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. whom he describes as "a pioneer in gamma radiation." This alludes to Bruce Banner, whose gamma radiation experiments turned him into The Incredible Hulk (2008). A deleted scene also mentions Hank Pym from Ant-Man (2015).
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Tom Hiddleston researched Marvel Comics' Loki and found him to be a very multi-dimensional character, basing his performance as Loki on three different actors: Peter O'Toole (the enigmatic, carefree personality), Jack Nicholson (the irritable and almost crazed personality) and Clint Eastwood (the seething, angry personality). Hiddleston also noted influences from Alan Rickman in Die Hard (1988) and James Mason in North by Northwest (1959): "They're all characters to do with control and revenge. I could enjoy those performances as a kid… I think I was so drawn to those performances because they seemed to be having a great time playing these villains. And that was part of the appeal. They were very charismatic even if they weren't at the center of those films."
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(At about 50 minutes) As Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) looks at a Norse Mythology book in the library, there is an illustration showing Odin walking across the Bifröst bridge with the spear Gungnir in one hand and the Tesseract in the other. In Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), the Red Skull mentions that the Tesseract is the jewel of Odin's treasure room.
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The film draws extensively on actual Norse mythology (the source material for the "Thor" comic books): * The war between the Asgardians and the Jotunns was based on the Æsir-Vanir War (the Jotunns were in fact not an enemy race). * Odin's (Sir Anthony Hopkins) ravens Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory), who gather information in Midgard (Earth) and relay it to Odin, sit on his throne during Thor's coronation. * The symbol seen in the weapons vault and on Mjölnir is the triquetra, a religious symbol. Its ancestor is the valknut, a Germanic symbol associated with Odin. * The Bifrost, originally thought of by the Norse as a rainbow, is seen as a beam of rainbow light. * Heimdall's golden observatory is based on Himinbjorg, Heimdall's home. * When Odin appears in Jotunheim, he rides his eight-legged horse Sleipnir. * A Jotun once called Thor (Chris Hemsworth) "little Princess;" Thor's hammer had been stolen and he dressed as the love goddess Freya to get it back. * Fandral (Josh Dallas) and Thor describe Loki (Tom Hiddleston) as a mischievous and skilled liar, a nod to Loki's title as the god of mischief and lies. * Thor asks for a cat to ride. Thor's mother Frigga's (Rene Russo) chariot is pulled by two large blue cats. * Thor shows Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) a drawing of a junction containing nine spheres; her perception and representation of it shows Yggdrasil, the great tree around which the nine worlds are bound and which makes up the universe.
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(Around the 9th minute) It is said that Thor's hammer Mjölnir was forged inside "a dying star." This actually carries some scientific weight. When a very large star dies in a supernova, its remains sometimes collapse into a "neutron star." These objects compress the mass of the sun into the size of a city, creating a new kind of matter called "neutronium." A single teaspoon of this material would weigh billions of tons. If Mjölnir were made of this material, it would certainly explain its incredible weight.
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Contains a major spoiler — show
Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) researches Thor's (Chris Hemsworth's) legendary history and finds that "Thursday" derives from "Thor's Day." In Norway, Sweden and Denmark, all the weekdays come from Norse mythology: Tuesday is tirsdag (Tyr's day), Wednesday is onsdag (Odin's day) and Friday is fredag (Frey's day). Sunday and Monday are named in honor of Sol (sun) and Måne (moon). Saturday is lørdag, from Laugardag, the washing day.
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Talks were ongoing for Guillermo del Toro to direct. He said: "I'm a fan of [Jack] Kirby and the power he had, and I'm a fan of the original mythology, so I thought we could go back more to the original mythology. I love Loki, I think he's a great figure." This would have been his fourth comic book film after Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008).
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Career & Awards (12)
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With Jeff Bridges starring in Iron Man (2008), William Hurt and Tim Roth in The Incredible Hulk (2008), and Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell in Iron Man 2 (2010), this is the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe not to feature an Oscar nominee or winner as the main antagonist or villain.
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This is Natalie Portman's second comic book movie after V for Vendetta (2005).
Thor (2011): Jane Foster smiles with a hammer in her handImage: Wikimedia Commons · Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #491
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Following Iron Man (2008) with Jeff Bridges, The Incredible Hulk (2008) with William Hurt and Tim Roth, and Iron Man 2 (2010) with Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell, this is the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to not feature an Oscar nominee or winner as the main antagonist or villain.
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Life & Family (5)
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Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgård share the same birthday (June 13). Both also share the same birthday with fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe actor Chris Evans (Captain America), but all three of these actors were born in separate years apart from each other. Skarsgård was born in 1951, Evans was born in 1981 and Dennings was born in 1986.
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Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
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- IMDb
Sources for the entries on this page
- Wikipedia Thor (film) — Wikipedia
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