Kenneth Branagh's Thor was impressively successful in managing to make a ludicrous seeming cod-Shakespearean Norse mythology-space opera mash-up function not only as a standalone movie but also within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Nevertheless, there were still comics fans who found this extremely fantastical fantasy flick somehow unrealistic if all the cast weren't Aryan white. Branagh, whose various Shakespearean films have always been keen to cast familiar characters with the best actors regardless of skin colour, personally picked out rising star Idris Elba as Asgardian gatekeeper Heimdall. While Heimdall on the page (and his inspiration, the real Norse mythical figure Heimdallr) has always appeared as a stereotypical looking Viking, the film is set in a heightened space fantasy world where there is no real requirement for any character to resemble any Earthly stereotype. Elba brought a quiet dignity to a fairly insignificant part and impressed sufficiently to be given a somewhat expanded role for the sequel Thor: The Dark World. The actor has already let slip that he will make an appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron as part of a four film deal with Marvel. By the end of it, Elba is likely to be many fans' image of the character.
