Marvel Studios today released the first official poster for Thor: The Dark World - the upcoming sequel to the 2011 superhero film Thor. The teaser poster features actor Chris Hemsworth dressed as the Nordic demigod wielding his trademark hammer, as a violent lightning storm rages in the background. The second installment in the Marvel franchise will see Thor take on the ancient race of the Dark Elves, led by the menacing Malekith, (Christopher Eccleston) who is seeking to plunge the Nine Realms into darkness once more. You can see the poster in full below; The sequel will be directed by Game of Throne's Alan Taylor, while Natalie Portman will once more pick up her role as Thor's Earthly love interest Jane Foster. Tom Hiddleston is also set to reprise his role as Loki, while Anthony Hopkins will once again play Odin. Meanwhile newcomers Kat Dennings and Zachary Levi will join the cast as Darcy Lewis and Fandral, respectively. The first official trailer for Dark World is set to be released on iTunes next Tuesday (23rd) and the film will hit theatres on November 8th. Thor was a commercial hit when it was released in 2011, and is the seventh highest-grossing Marvel film and the third highest-grossing film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.