Thor (2011)
Trivia
When Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Sir Anthony Hopkins (Odin) saw each other in full armor for the first time, Hopkins said, "God, there's no acting required here, is there?"
The final choice for the role of Thor came down to brothers Chris Hemsworth and Liam Hemsworth. Chris found it funny: "We both came all the way over here from Australia and ended up battling against each other." He, however, bore no ill-will towards Liam, claiming he was rooting for him to get the role.
(at around 47 mins) Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) mentions a comrade who got mixed up with S.H.I.E.L.D., whom he described as "a pioneer in gamma radiation". This alludes to Bruce Banner, whose experiments in gamma radiation mutated him into The Incredible Hulk (2008). A deleted scene also has him mention Hank Pym, from Ant-Man (2015).
Executive producer Stan Lee claimed he'd always wanted to play Odin, but was happy with Sir Anthony Hopkins' casting and performance in the role.
A few minutes after Thor smashes the coffee cup in the diner, you can see the truck that Stan Lee was driving pass by the diner. You can tell because the back half is missing from being pulled off when trying to move Mjölnir at the crater.
(at around 28 mins) Director Sir Kenneth Branagh asked Sir Anthony Hopkins to improvise his reaction to Thor's yelling at him in the banishment scene. Hopkins agreed, and when the scene was filmed, many of the cast and crew present were sobbing. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston later said they had to struggle to keep their composure during filming that scene. Hiddleston later complimented Hopkins, to which he said, "Ken's fantastic, isn't he?"
Tom Hiddleston prepared for the role by going on a strict diet before and throughout filming, so that Loki would have a lean, but hungry visage.
According to director Sir Kenneth Branagh, the closing credits sequence was based on images from the Hubble Space Telescope, and took eighteen months to create.
To prepare for the role of Heimdall, Idris Elba read the "Thor" comics where Heimdall was featured prominently: "He's a very central character, and I wanted to reflect him as he is in the comic books."
Tom Hiddleston found Loki's helmet very uncomfortable, as it was heavy to wear, and he couldn't see properly out of it. He channelled this discomfort into Loki's battle scenes.
When Tom Hiddleston learned he was going to be in this movie, he was in "a grisly pub" in North London, and caused an uproar there by screaming out loud.
To prepare for the role of Thor, Chris Hemsworth put on a massive amount of build and weight, through a six-month regimen of trips to the gym and indulging in a massive diet of eggs, chicken, sandwiches, vegetables, brown rice, steak, and protein drinks.
An entire town was constructed in Galisteo, New Mexico, to serve as a fictional location for this movie.
Sir Anthony Hopkins signed on as Odin, despite never having read a "Thor" comic, nor knowing anything about the Thor mythology. It was the concept of the father and son relationship that intrigued him about the role.
Sir Kenneth Branagh has been a fan of "Thor" since childhood. When Marvel Studios selected him as the director, they sent him the complete collection of the Marvel Thor comics series as reference material for the character.
To prepare for his role as Loki, Tom Hiddleston trained in the Brazilian martial art of capoeira.
According to Sir Kenneth Branagh, Odin runs the Marvel Universe. It was Odin who hid away the Tesseract in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), and an Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers (2012).
Thor's hammer Mjölnir is cast out of Asgard and lands in New Mexico. This was based on the comics (Fantastic Four #536), where in the aftermath of an apocalyptic event on Asgard, Mjölnir was cast out to land in Oklahoma, where it lay until Thor came to reclaim it.
This is Rene Russo's first movie in six years. According to Russo, it was her daughter who persuaded her to work on the movie, after a long sabbatical.
This movie makes extensive use of actual Norse mythology (on which the "Thor" comic was based):
- The war between the Asgardians and the Jotunns was based on the Aesir-Vanir War (the Jotunns were, in fact, a non-hostile, non-antagonistic race).
- Odin's (Sir Anthony Hopkins') ravens Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory), who gather information in Midgard (Earth) and relay it to Odin, are sitting on his throne during Thor's coronation ceremony.
- The symbol seen at the weapons vault, and on Mjölnir, is the triquetra, a religious symbol. Its ancestor is the valknut, a German symbol associated with Odin.
- The Bifrost, originally thought of as the rainbow by the Norse, is seen as a beam of rainbow light.
- Heimdall's golden observatory is based on the Himinbjorg, Heimdall's home.
- When Odin appears in Jotunheim, he is riding his eight-legged horse Sleipnir.
- A Jotun calls Thor (Chris Hemsworth) a "little Princess"; once, Thor's hammer was stolen and he dressed up as the love goddess Freya to retrieve it.
- Fandral (Josh Dallas) and Thor each describe Loki (Tom Hiddleston) as mischievous and a talented liar, an homage to Loki's titles as the god of mischief and lies.
- Thor asks for a cat to ride. Thor's mother Frigga (Rene Russo) has her chariot pulled by two large blue cats.
- Thor shows Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) a drawing of crossroads with nine orbs in it, his perception and representation of Yggdrasil, a great tree around which the nine worlds are tethered, making up the universe.
Tom Hiddleston described his role of Loki as "a comic book, but nastier version, of King Lear's Edmund." In the William Shakespeare play, Edmund was the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester, who was jealous of his legitimate brother Edgar, and tricked his father into banishing him into exile.
Sir Anthony Hopkins claims he relates to his role of Odin: "I'm a little like Odin myself. He's a stern man. He's a man with purpose. I play the god who banishes his son from Asgard, because he screwed up. He's a hot-headed, temperamental young man, probably a chip off of the old block, but I decide he's not really ready to rule the future kingdom, so I banish him. I'm harsh, and my wife complains, and I say 'That is why I'm King'".
(at around 28 mins) Director Sir Kenneth Branagh was inspired to do the scene where Odin rips off Thor's chestplates from The Life of Emile Zola (1937), where a disgraced Army officer was stripped of his rank.
The post-credits scene was directed by Joss Whedon to connect The Avengers (2012) with this movie. The scene features Samuel L. Jackson and Stellan Skarsgård who features on the film "Deep Blue Sea."
Tom Hiddleston researched Marvel Comics' Loki, and found him to be a multi-dimensional character, and based his performance as Loki on three different actors: Peter O'Toole (enigmatic reckless persona), Jack Nicholson (edgy and nearly insane persona), and Clint Eastwood (persona with simmering anger).
The artifacts seen in the Asgard weapons vault are of various mystical objects seen in the Marvel comics. They are, in chronological appearance:
- The Tuning Fork, a device that can summon monsters.
- The Tablet of Life and Time, a slab that can extend one's lifetime.
- The Warlock's Eye, an artifact that can control people's minds.
- The Eternal Flame, a mystical fire that cannot be extinguished (played a major role in Thor: Ragnarok (2017)).
- The Casket of Ancient Winters, an enchanted container filled with frosty winds (plays a major role in this movie).
- The Infinity Gauntlet, a glove encrusted with six reality-bending jewels. (As later on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thanos had started to construct the Infinity Gauntlet, Thor: Ragnarok (2017) fixed this inconsistency by having Hela claim that the Gauntlet and some of the items in the vault were fakes).
Thor refers to Agent Coulson as "Son of Coul", misinterpreting his last name as "Coul's Son", in the way Norse cultures construct surnames (Odin's son becomes Odinson, et cetera).
(at around 9 mins) It's mentioned that Thor's Hammer Mjölnir was forged inside "a dying star". This actually makes a modicum of scientific sense. When a very large star dies in a supernova, sometimes its remains collapsed to form a "neutron star". These objects cram the mass of the sun into the size of a city, forming a new kind of matter nicknamed "neutronium". A single teaspoon of this material would weigh billions of tons. If Mjölnir was made of this material, it would certainly explain its incredible weight.
A Roman god (Nabil Nona) is seen in the banquet at the end of this movie. In the Marvel comics, the Norse and Greco-Roman gods (Asgardians and Olympians respectively) know of each other. The gods Thor and Hercules are best friends, and fellow Avengers.
According to director Sir Kenneth Branagh, this movie's biggest challenge was connecting the worlds of Asgard and twenty-first century Earth: "It's about finding the framing style, the color palette, finding the texture and the amount of camera movement that helps celebrate and express the differences and distinctions in those worlds. If it succeeds, it will mark this film as different. The combination of the primitive and the sophisticated, the ancient and the modern, I think that potentially is the exciting fusion, the exciting tension in the film."
According to producer Kevin Feige, the Bifrost bridge is this movie's most interesting set: "In the comics, it's literally a rainbow that extends out from Asgard and pops down on Earth. We're not necessarily doing that. We're not having the big hard solid lines of colors. We're saying it's some sort of energy, almost a solid quartz bridge that, as the light catches it, and flows through it, you get some of that rainbow-esque quality to it."
Natalie Portman took the role of Jane Foster because she couldn't resist the opportunity of a comic book movie directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh: "I was just like, Kenneth Branagh doing 'Thor' is super-weird, I've gotta do it."
(at around 43 mins) As Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is leaving the restaurant to go to the crater site, and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) follows him, you can see a small water tower at the end of the street that says "Welcome. Home of the Vikings."
Sir Kenneth Branagh conceptualized this movie as a Norse and comic book twist on William Shakespeare's Henry V (1989), which was about a young King who underwent trials and tribulations: fighting a war, courting a girl from another land, trying to live up to the example set by his father (a beloved King), and basic character development.
The Earth town where most of this movie is set is named "Puente Antiguo", which means "antique bridge", and could be hinting at the Bifröst using it as a frequent destination point.
Director Sir Kenneth Branagh and Tom Hiddleston were performing in a West End stage production of "Ivanov" when it was announced that Branagh would direct this movie. At the 2010 Empire Movie Con, Hiddleston recalled one night when, as a joke, he burst into Branagh's dressing room wielding an empty plastic container from a water cooler like Mjölnir, shouting "Come on, Ken, what do you think!?" Branagh's response was reportedly a very jokey "You never know, darling, stranger things have happened." Two months later, Hiddleston was auditioning for Thor, before landing the role as Loki.
(at around 50 mins) When Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) is in the library looking at the book of Norse Mythology, there is an illustration of Odin walking across the Bifröst bridge with his Gungnir spear in one hand and the Tesseract in the other. In Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), the Red Skull mentions that the Tesseract was the jewel of Odin's treasure room.
The agent that grabs a bow and arrow when Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is attempting to recover Mjölnir is referred to as Agent Barton. This is Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), also known as the archer Hawkeye, who becomes a prominent and founding member of the Avengers in The Avengers (2012).
Colm Feore's make-up as Laufey the Frost Giant took five hours to apply.
In this movie, the casket of Ancient Winters was held by the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. In the comics, it was held by the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, in particular, their leader Malekith the Accursed. In this movie, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) holds the Casket, and asks Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins) if he is accursed, an homage to Malekith.
To prepare of the role of Fandral, Josh Dallas drew inspiration from renowned swashbuckler Errol Flynn and his movies: "Flynn had a lot of that boyish charm that Fandral's got all that in him." The comics' characterization of Fandral was also based on Flynn.
Alexander Skarsgård was one of the actors in the running for the role of Thor, primarily for his physical appearance. Alexander's father Stellan landed a role in this movie, as Professor Erik Selvig.
In Norse mythology, Thor's nickname was "protector of mankind" (which is apt, considering Thor's superhero status today). Scandinavians to this day wear Mjölnir-amulets, referred to as "torshammare" (Thor's Hammers).
In the 2014 "Thor" comics, Loki was designed to look like Tom Hiddleston for a brief time.
Chris Hemsworth bulked up to such an extent before his screentest that the original costume (which was designed for a specific size) began cutting the circulation off in his arms and legs when he tried it on for the first time.
According to Chris Hemsworth, the action coordinators experimented with different combat styles, but ultimately the fighting technique Thor utilizes is an original one, based on boxing: stance low to the ground, with big powerful hip movements.
This movie's portrayal of Thor combines the classic Marvel Comics character (Thor is cast down to Earth as punishment for his arrogance) with the Marvel "Ultimate" character (Thor is dismissed by many on Earth as a crazy, deluded man).
Originally, the persona of Dr. Donald Blake (Thor's alternate identity and personality) was going to be in this movie, and Kevin McKidd was considered for the part. However, Blake was written out, and was instead used as a false identity for Thor.
There is a billboard in the town advertising for New Mexico tourism with the slogan "Land of Enchantment - Journey into Mystery". "Land of Enchantment" is the nickname of New Mexico, "Journey into Mystery" is the title of the Marvel comic book where Thor made his debut (Journey Into Mystery #83).
In the DVD audio commentary, director Sir Kenneth Branagh reveals that the shot near the end of Jane Foster and her associates working in their lab was actually meant to be the opening shot of this movie, and that the closing title sequence of the Nine Realms was originally planned to be the prologue.
Tom Hiddleston went on to become a comic book fan, especially of Loki.
(at around 1h 18 mins) When the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents track the Asgardians in search of Thor (Chris Hemsworth), they spot Sif (Jaimie Alexander), Fandral (Josh Dallas), and Hogun (Tadanobu Asano), but not Volstagg (Ray Stevenson). A deleted scene has Volstagg knock out the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, having tracked them by their food, and then steal it.
According to screenwriter Don Payne, Dr. Jane Foster was more of a stereotypical scientist (dry and skeptical), but Natalie Portman wished to revise the character to make her more poetic: "She thought Jane could be someone who thinks outside of the box, someone whose theories are considered outlandish, and are frowned upon by the scientific community. But it's the kind of thinking that leads to great discoveries. When Thor arrives, she's willing to take a leap of faith, and she has to pay the consequences for it."
The Science & Entertainment Exchange collaborated with the filmmakers on the movie design, and production, with three physicists (Sean Carroll, Kevin Hand, and Jim Hartle, as well as physics student Kevin Hickerson) to provide a realistic scientific background for this movie. This collaboration resulted in changing Jane Foster's profession from nurse to physicist, and used the terminology "Einstein-Rosen bridge" (named after Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen) to describe the Bifröst.
A model of the Infinity Gauntlet, an all-powerful weapon capable of controlling aspects of reality (soul, time, space, reality, power, and mind) in the "Marvel Comics" universe, was constructed for this movie. The model is made from bronze and copper (with jewels made from resin) and weighs sixty pounds. It was built to be operational, so that animatronics could be built on it.
(at around 32 mins) The crater that is created by the impact of Thor's hammer Mjölnir forms the design of Captain America's shield (a set of concentric rings, with a star-shaped center).
According to producer Kevin Feige, the filmmakers placed the Foo Fighters song "Walk" in this movie because they thought its lyrics were strangely appropriate for this movie: "If you asked two months ago if we would have a Foo Fighters song in this movie, I would have said 'I don't think so.' But we heard the song, and it just has these eerily appropriate lyrics and themes. Ken (director Sir Kenneth Branagh), in particular, just loved it with these lyrics about learning to walk again, and the way that fit the themes of the movie about redemption and learning to be a hero."
Thor's armor is an amalgamation of the current Thor costume in mainstream Marvel continuity and the "Ultimate Marvel" comics universe.
This is Sir Anthony Hopkins' first comic book movie (The Mask of Zorro (1998) does not count; Zorro started in prose). He was previously offered the role of Alfred in Batman Begins (2005).
Brad Pitt was rumored for the role of Thor. Channing Tatum and WWE wrestler Paul Levesque (a.k.a. Triple H, a.k.a. Hunter Hearst Helmsley) were considered for the part; Daniel Craig was the first choice; and Charlie Hunnam, Tom Hiddleston, Alexander Skarsgård, Liam Hemsworth, and Joel Kinnaman screentested for the role, but finally Liam's brother Chris got the part.
Colm Feore described his role of Laufey as "the Napoléon Bonaparte of Frost Giants", and drew inspiration from Sir Anthony Hopkins, Max von Sydow, and Paul Scofield (it was originally going to be all Hopkins, but Sir Kenneth Branagh said they didn't need two Hopkins in the movie).
In April 2006, screenwriter and "Thor" fan Mark Protosevich wrote a script for this movie, which he described as "an Old Testament God who becomes a New Testament God". However, the script was so laden with visual effects sequences that it would require $300 million to film, so when Matthew Vaughn signed on, he re-wrote and trimmed the script to bring the budget down to a more agreeable $150 million.
Zachary Levi was approached for the role of Fandral, but had to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts. Dominic Cooper was rumored, but Stuart Townsend was then cast in the role. But a few days before filming began, he left the role because of creative differences with the filmmakers. Finally, Josh Dallas took the role. Levi played Fandral in Thor: The Dark World (2013) when Dallas was no longer available. Cooper played young Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
(at around 1h 1 min) Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) asks Thor (Chris Hemsworth) if he received his training with Special Forces. Hemsworth was trained by a former Navy S.E.A.L. for his role as Thor.
Amora the Enchantress, an enemy/love interest of Thor, was initially going to appear in this movie, with concept art of her being planned.
In 2005, Matthew Vaughn was going to direct this movie, describing it as "the birth of a hero, interweaving Gladiator (2000) with Norse mythology."
Vaugh would later direct the comic book movies Kick-Ass (2010) and X: First Class (2011) and the Kingsman films for Marvel Comics.
Vaugh would later direct the comic book movies Kick-Ass (2010) and X: First Class (2011) and the Kingsman films for Marvel Comics.
For his role as the warrior Volstagg, Ray Stevenson wore a specially designed fat suit that gave Volstagg a round, but tough, appearance: "What we've done is kind of sex Volstagg up. He has every bit of that Falstaffian verve and vigor, and a bit of a beer gut, to suggest an enormous appetite, but he's not the Weeble-shaped figure in the comics. He's Falstaff with muscles."
When looking at the overhead view of the site where Thor's Hammer landed, you can see the temporary complex built by S.H.I.E.L.D. to surround the Hammer, actually spells out the word "SHIELD".
According to this movie's science advisor, Sean Carroll, the Bifröst is, and was meant to be, called a wormhole, but producer Kevin Feige felt it was "too 1990s" a term to use (given that the Stargate series had popularized the phrase, and had also featured Norse gods). So a new phrase was used: "an Einstein-Rosen Bridge".
Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is seen wearing a special top when the Destroyer attacks. On it is a sun partially covered with a thundercloud. This "foreshadows" the return of Thor's power.
Charlie Cox auditioned for the role of Loki. While he didn't get the part, he did end up being cast as the main character in Daredevil (2015).
Early in the story, Thor is told Mjolnir landed 50 miles west of town. When the Destroyer attacks and Thor's hammer returns to him, the flight takes 20 seconds. This appears to show events in real-time, no trimming events for dramatic effect, meaning Mjolnir's average speed was roughly mach 12 - about 9,000 mph.
Tom Hiddleston was chosen after previously collaborating with Sir Kenneth Branagh on the theatrical play "Ivanov" and the television series Wallander (2008).
This is the first appearance of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jasper Sitwell (Maximiliano Hernández), who is a recurring character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The early part of the movie, which sees Thor banished to Earth with lesser powers as punishment for disobeying his father, is from the comic The Mighty Thor #145 (1967), though the plotlines diverge from that point.
According to Tadanobu Asano (Hogun), he is of part-Norwegian descent, and so he felt it was a "necessity" for him to work on a movie based on Norse mythology.
Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) researches Thor's (Chris Hemsworth's) mythical history, finding that "Thursday" is derived from "Thor's Day". In Swedish and Danish, all of the weekdays are from Norse mythology: Tuesday is tisdag (Tyr's day), Wednesday is onsdag (Odin's day) and Friday is fredag (Frey's day). Sunday and Monday are in honor of Sol and Måne.
This is the only time in the MCU that Clint Barton/Hawkeye is presented as being right handed (Jeremy Renner is left handed), drawing his bow with his right hand. It's also the only time he uses a compound bow.
This was the first movie to get a theatrical release after it was released on home video in Indonesia.
This is Rene Russo's first comic book movie. She was previously considered for the role of Chase Meridian in Batman Forever (1995), but was replaced by Nicole Kidman, when Michael Keaton left the project, and was replaced by the younger Val Kilmer.
This is Natalie Portman's second comic book movie after V for Vendetta (2005).
This is the last Marvel Studios movie after Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010) and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) to be distributed through Paramount Pictures. Disney purchased Marvel Studios for $4 billion in 2009, two years before this movie's release, and subsequently paid $115 million to Paramount Pictures for distribution rights to the subsequent Marvel Studios releases of The Avengers (2012) and Iron Man 3 (2013).
Samuel L. Jackson describes his Nick Fury post-credits scene as "connective tissue to The Avengers (2012)."
In the 1990s, Sam Raimi had planned to direct this movie under Twentieth Century Fox, but the studio passed on the project.
Raimi would later direct a trilogy of films on Spider-Man and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), two other Marvel Comics superheroes.
Raimi would later direct a trilogy of films on Spider-Man and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), two other Marvel Comics superheroes.
Jim Carrey was a long-time favorite and candidate for the role of Loki since The Mask (1994), which indirectly featured Loki. Josh Hartnett was also rumored for the role.
Chris Hemsworth has had prior experience with wielding a hammer, having worked as a builder in Australia for a few years.
Stellan Skarsgård played a character who encounters Norse gods in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Stellan's son Gustaf played Loki's descendant Floki in Vikings (2013).
Both the Odinsleep and the character of the Destroyer were first introduced by Stan Lee in Journey Into Mystery issue 118, which was incorporated into the episode "Terror of the Tomb" of the Thor animated series.
The set used for the town was the same modernized town and set used for Silverado (1985).
Although Tadanobu Asano (Hogun) appeared in several Japanese movies based on anime and manga comics, this is his first adaptation of an American comic book.
Volstagg (Ray Stevenson) was loosely based on Falstaff from William Shakespeare's "Henry IV Parts 1 and 2". Falstaff frequently exaggerates or lies about his bravery, strength, and accomplishments on the battlefield, to the amusement of his friends. In the banquet scene near the end, Volstagg can be seen doing the same thing.
(at around 34 mins) When Thor's silhouette is seen in the lightning storm photographs, a variety of film equipment can be seen, such as a 2K tungsten light, and a waveform monitor.
The filmmakers cite the work and art of "Thor" writers Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Walter Simonson, and J. Michael Straczynski as an influence on this movie.
Jessica Biel was rumored for the role of Sif, while Diora Baird also auditioned.
As of 2018, the only Marvel Cinematic Universe movie to be directed by an Academy Award nominated director, Sir Kenneth Branagh.
Brie Larson auditioned for a role, she would later play Captain Marvel for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Josh Dallas described his role of Fandral as "the R. Kelly of Asgard."
(at around 1h 28 mins) When Thor gets Mjölnir back, for a brief second he is seen upright and surrounded by lightning. This is an homage to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983), where Prince Adam's transformation into He-Man, featured him in a similar position surrounded by lightning. (citation needed)
With Jeff Bridges starring in Iron Man (2008), William Hurt and Tim Roth in The Incredible Hulk (2008), and Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell in Iron Man 2 (2010), this is the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe not to feature an Oscar nominee or winner as the main antagonist or villain.
Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) doesn't believe in the Norse myths. Skarsgård is an atheist in real life.
The Norse runes on the Tablet of Life and Time read "Those Who Sit Above in Shadow." These were a group of cosmic beings from the Thor comics, who created the Asgardian race (and possibly the Tablet itself, though the Tablet's origins have never been revealed to date).
Brian Blessed was rumored for the role of Odin.
Around 2000, this movie was going to be a made-for-television special to be produced by UPN, and Tyler Mane was approached to play Thor.
Natalie Portman (Dr. Jane Foster) had been considered to play Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow in Iron Man 2 (2010) which ultimately went to Scarlett Johansson.
Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgård share the same birthday (June 13). Both also share the same birthday with fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe actor Chris Evans (Captain America).
Ray Stevenson's second Marvel comic book movie. His first being Punisher: War Zone (2008).
Thor is played by Chris Hemsworth, who appeared as George Kirk (James T. Kirk's father) in Star Trek (2009). His love interest, Dr. Jane Foster, is played by Natalie Portman, who played Luke Skywalker's mother in the Star Wars saga.
This is the second Marvel Cinematic Universe entry to be Filmed In Panavision (anamorphic) after The Incredible Hulk (2008).
Jane Foster in the comics is blonde and 5'7" tall, but Natalie Portman is a brunette and only 5'3".
This is production designer Bo Welch's fourth comic book movie, after working on Batman Returns (1992), Men in Black (1997), and Men in Black II (2002).
When Thor is strapped to the bed in the hospital, the doctor's name on his tag is "Zepfel". This is also the name of one of the unit production managers, Don Zepfel.
Around September 2008, D.J. Caruso was discussing taking on the project.
In December 2004, David S. Goyer was in negotiations to write and direct.
This is the only Thor movie in the trilogy to be released in May. Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017) were released in November.
Cameo
J. Michael Straczynski: (at around 33 mins) A writer who worked on the "Thor" comics, appears as the first person to try to lift Mjölnir.
Stan Lee: (at around 36 mins) Executive producer and creator of Thor in 1962 appeared as the truck driver who attempts to tow Mjölnir out of the crater in which it landed.
Walter Simonson: (at around 1h 40 mins) A comic book writer and artist, whose work on "Thor" was highly renowned and acclaimed, has a cameo appearance in the banquet scene near the end of the movie, sitting between Sif (Jaimie Alexander) and Volstagg (Ray Stevenson).
Spoilers
(at around 3 mins) The Norwegian village Tønsberg, seen in the flashback, is the same one the Red Skull invades to steal the Tesseract in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
This movie and comic's version of Norse mythology has certain differences from actual Norse myth:
- Odin lost an eye in a battle with the Jotuns. In Norse legend, he gave up an eye to obtain cosmic wisdom.
- In Norse legend, Loki is Odin's adopted brother, not Thor's.
- Laufey was originally Loki's mother, and not his father (this change was found amusing in Iceland, since Laufey is still a popular female name there).
In the original script, Loki revealed himself to Laufey as his son, and Laufey then admitted his abandonment of him. This was left out, to make Loki more devious.
(at around 1h 21 mins) When the Destroyer appears on Earth, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents speculate that it could belong to Tony Stark (Iron Man). In the storyline "Fear Itself", Tony Stark acquired Destroyer armor from Asgard.
The artifact that Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) shows to Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) in the post-credits scene (which played a major part in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and The Avengers (2012)), is the Tesseract, identified to be the Infinity Stone of Space (a component of the Infinity Gauntlet). It is also based on the Cosmic Cube, a cube-shaped artifact of power.
When Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) burst from the Bifrost during their battle, you can actually see Loki create an illusion of himself. Look closely and you can see that Loki splits in two, with his real self flying off the left side of the screen, and the illusion he used to trick Thor falling and clinging to the side of the rainbow bridge.
(at around 1h 29 mins) Thor, after learning about Loki's deception, states that he "would have words" with Loki. This is a famous line Thor said in regards to confronting the Avengers' villain Ultron: "Ultron, we would have words with thee."
