Chris Hemsworth to star as Thor

We would never have had a clue who the heck Chris Hemsworth was just a few weeks ago, but after his short but memorable splash onscreen as Capt. Kirk's father, George Kirk, he has nabbed the role of Thor. He's also been cast in the Patrick Swayze role in the remake of Red Dawn.

He's a 25 year old from Australia, continuing the tradition of American manly men being found on foreign soil. Hemsworth certainly made an impression on me, in that opening sequence of Star Trek. As Bruce Greenwood's Capt. Pike put it, "[He] was captain of a starship for 12 minutes and, in that time, saved 800 lives."

Production is expected to begin next year on Thor, with Marvel shooting for a May 20, 2011 release.

I still can't get over the fact that Kenneth Brannagh, of all people, is directing Thor. Kenneth Branagh has described Thor as "a human story right in the center of a big epic scenario." Samuel L. Jackson will also star.