Yesterday we got our first look at the big bad villain The Destroyer as he will be featured in next year’s big screen adaptation of the comic book series Thor and today we get our first look at the God of Thunder himself. Marvel/Paramount has released the first image of actor Chris Hemsworth as Thor … behold:

Long hair, check. Stubbly beard, check. Shiny armor, check. All that’s missing is Thor‘s trusty hammer Mjǫllnir. Thus far, Hemsworth has the Thor-look down. As much as I’d love to see a fuller photo of this new incarnation of Thor, I get that we are only being teased since the movie won’t be released until this time next year. I’m loving what I’m seeing thus far … I really can’t wait to see more. I have new confidence that Chris Hemsworth will make a fantastic flesh and blood Thor. What do y’all think?

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As you may recall, we learned in May of last year that actor Chris Hemsworth has been cast as the lead in the big screen adaptation of the comic book superhero Thor. Today we get our first taste of what’s in store for us when the film opens in May of next year. Now we all know that Iron Man 2 opens in theaters here in the US next week but some lucky folks have already been able to see the film in early screenings. Apparently, there is a bonus teaser scene for Thor that is shown at the very end of IM2 after the credits end … but the movie site Latino Review goes one step further and gives us our first peek at Thor‘s arch nemesis, The Destroyer, as he will be featured in next year’s film:

With “Iron Man 2″ being released overseas this week and in the U.S. next week, the question always remained whether or not there will be an ending credit scene and obviously there was. We saw the footage last night while everyone was at some Marvel/Paramount event for “Iron Man 2.” So while everyone was having a good time last night, I was working on something pretty cool for the upcoming “Thor” movie. Most of you folks know by now that (spoiler removed!) is shown at the end credits of “Iron Man 2.” Today I have for you a cool pic that our spy sent us. As per my source, THE DESTROYER is sent to earth by Loki to destroy Thor. It stands at about 9 feet tall. The Destroyer is an enchanted suit of armor forged by Odin, and when it first appeared it was hinted that the Destroyer had been created as a weapon to face some dark menace from the stars. The Destroyer is used by Thor’s arch-foe Loki on several occasions, and each time has actually come close to killing Thor. The film follows the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and is forced to live among humans. A beautiful young scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has a profound effect on Thor, as she ultimately becomes his first love. It’s while here on Earth that 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.

While I am not the biggest fan of the Thor comic books, I am a huge fan of the superhero character himself. As a kid, I loved playing with my toy Thor hammer Mjǫllnir mainly because I loved beating it against the wall to drive my mother crazy (and I was super jealous of the little girl in Adventures in Babysitting who was lucky enough to have a kid-sized version of Thor‘s helmet). As an adult, I’m really looking forward to rekindling my childhood love of the character with this big screen adaptation. After the jump, if you dare, check out what Thor‘s arch enemy The Destroyer looks like in the photo from the film set made public by Latino Review …

Nikki Finke, who has been giving us the dirt on the rumored cancellation of the Gossip Girl spin-off and the US remake of Absolutely Fabulous, is reporting that Marvel Comics has decided to cast Aussie newcomer (at least, around these here parts) Chris Hemsworth (George Kirk in JJ Abrams‘s Star Trek) in their big screen movie adaptation of Thor. While many fans have been lobbying hardcore for Alexander Skarsgård (who stars in True Blood and to many is the living embodiment of the Viking God comic book hero) to play the role, Finke reports that Hemsworth has swooped in and secured the part:

Talk about spot-on casting. I’ve just learned that Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige and director Kenneth Branagh have chosen their THOR — and it’s Chris Hemsworth, who can currently be seen as “George Kirk” in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot and also just snagged the lead in Red Dawn for MGM on Thursday. The gorgeous 25-year-old Australian is a virtual unknown here in the United States. But he played “Kim Hyde” on 171 episodes of Home and Away, the successful Oz television series chronicling the lives and loves of the residents of Summer Bay, a small coastal town in New South Wales, Australia. Hemsworth is repped by partner and co-founder William Ward’s ROAR management and Eileen Feldman’s agency. Marvel Studios has scheduled Thor for a June 17, 2011, release. The way Chris Hemsworth got the part of Thor is one of those great Hollywood backstories that happens only once in a blue moon. Ward had found Chris during one of the manager’s many scouting trips to Australia. Ward brought him to Los Angeles and really put him out there to casting directors and production executives. As for the major agencies, I hear CAA passed on the meeting, Endeavor took it but passed on repping him, and ICM was interested but dragged their feet. But Eileen Feldman got his appeal immediately. Chris had read for the part of Thor but wasn’t given a test because a casting director had nixed him early on. I’m told Chris’ younger brother Liam (who’s also a ROAR client) then tested for the role of Thor, but Marvel’s Kevin Feige passed. Then, after a conversation with Ward (“You’ve got to reconsider Chris, he’s your guy”), Feige decided to let Chris read again. And once Marvel put him on tape, it was “Oh my god”. Branagh came to town last week and saw the Chris test and made the final casting decision today … Thor’s character, in a nutshell is the Viking god of thunder, who wears a winged helmet and speaks in King James Bible-style Olde English, as well as referring to himself in the third person as “the Odinson.” He wields a magic hammer, and can “fly” by throwing the hammer really hard and hanging on to it. Not only is here the movie Thor, but he’ll also be interacting later with the likes of Iron Man and Hulk. Marvel tapping Kenneth Branagh was a smart move to elevate the pic since the English helmer has so much experience with Shakespearean battle movies and has the ability to balance action with convincingly delivered old English.

I knew from the first moment I saw Hemsworth in Star Trek (he plays Kirk‘s father in the movie’s opening) that he would go on to bigger roles. He deffo has that star quality and I was sure, at least looks wise, that he’d be able to get starring roles in future movies. It’s quite a feat to get cast as the lead in a big budget superhero movie, especially one that will tie in with a movie like Iron Man (both Iron Man and Thor are members of the superhero conglomerate The Avengers). I, too, thought that Skarsgård was a shoe-in for the role … but Hollywood is a wacky place. I think Chris Hemsworth can be Thor. I guess we’ll eventually find out.

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