Natalie Portman: Tapped for 'Thor'

Natalie Portman: Tapped for 'Thor'

There is good reason for the fans of Natalie Portman. Actress Natalie Portman has been cast as the female lead in "Thor," Marvel Studios' adaptation of its comic book featuring the Norse god of thunder. Kenneth Branagh has undertaken the responsibility of directing the movie.

Sources have thrown light on this news of Natalie Portman. According to them , Portman will play Jane Foster, who in early comic-book lore was a nurse who became Thor's first love. The studio said that the character will be updated for the feature adaptation, with Foster a doctor-scientist type.

Chris Hemsworth ("Star Trek") is already cast as Thor. Tom Hiddleston is Loki, the god of mischief who has served as the villain of the movie.

"Thor" is Marvel's stab at an epic fantasy adventure, by spanning from present-day Earth to the realm of Asgard. The story centers on Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose rash actions reignite an ancient war. As a punishment, Thor is cast down to Earth and also forced to live amongst the human beings. But once here, he got to know 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.

"(Jane) is the human lead, so to speak, who helps ground the film in reality," added Marvel's Kevin Feige, who is producing the movie.

He added, "We wanted to avoid that syndrome of just because the hair is up and they're wearing glasses it means they're smart. ... We wanted somebody that can have the chemistry that the best of our Marvel couples have had, whether it's Tobey (Maguire) and Kirsten (Dunst) or Tony (Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr.) and Pepper (Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow)."

The film will be released in the U.S. on 20th May, 2011, which will be distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Natalie Portman has planned to start work on the comedy "Your Highness," directed by David Gordon Green, and in the fall she will shoot for David Aronofsky's supernatural thriller "Black Swan." Her comic-book and fantasy movie resume includes the recent "Star Wars" trilogy and "V for Vendetta."