The Warriors Three cast for THOR!

By Matt Holmes / June 25, 2011

Three more have joined the impressive, and ever-growing cast of Marvel's Thor, which begins shooting in January under the helmsmanship of Kenneth Branagh, and it may well be the case this announcement wasn't supposed to happen today as Variety's news link has mysteriously gone AWOL since I began writing this post! Ray Stevenson (Punisher: War Zone, Rome) is cast as Volstagg the Valiant, a grossly large character that Stan Lee based on Shakespeare's Falstaff. A little bit annoying because he is the current Thomas Jane and I absolutely hate conflicting universe casting, but oh well. I guess the Punisher franchise is done anyways. Tadanobu Asano (Ichi the Killer, Mongol) is cast as Hogun the Grim, a character based on the great Charles Bronson. For Asano it's his English language film debut, though world cinema fans will know an awful lot about him already for the classic roles already on his CV. I love this casting. He's gonna be a fresh face to must and those who do know all about him will see another side of him in this environment. Massive Kudos to Branagh on this one. Stuart Townsend (Queen of the Damned, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) will play "Fandral the Dashing€, based on who else with a name like that but Errol Flynn! Townsend's been off the acting radar for a little while as he made his writing/directing debut with Battle in Seattle and it's his biggest acting gig since he played Dorian Gray in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen six years ago. All three characters make up the collective group... The Warriors Three, a Marvel creation for the character for the Thor comics and strictly not part of Norse mythology. The Warriors Three are good guys who provide backup to Donald Blake. Official synopsis...

The movie follows Thor (Chris Hemsworth) a Norse God banished to Earth for his arrogance and reckless behavior in the Asgard, the capital city of the Norse Gods. On Earth, he falls in love with a nurse named Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), but must become a true hero when his sinister brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) brings the darkest forces of Asgard to wreak destruction on humanity.

Anthony Hopkins is Thor's father Odin, Samuel L. Jackson will reprise Nick Fury for one or maybe two scenes, Jaimie Alexander is Sif - the Asgardian lover of Thor and we believe there's unspecified roles for Branagh's great friend Stellan Skarsgard (whose son just missed out on the title role) and Colm Feore.