With the film heading before the cameras early next year, the final pieces of the Thor casting jigsaw are slotting into place. The film is being directed by Kenneth Branagh, and we already know that Chris Hemsworth is in the title role, Tom Huddleston is Loki and Natalie Portman is Jane Foster. We also learned recently that Anthony Hopkins was reportedly signing up to play Odin.

The latest addition to the cast will be familiar to fans of The Wire - it's Idris Elba, who will be playing Helmdall, the guardian of Asgard, The news was broken by The Hollywood Reporter, and it follows the casting of Stuart Townsend, Ray Stevenson and Tadanobu Asano as the Warriors Three.

The cast continues to get more impressive from where we're sitting, although the film itself isn't out until May 2011. Incidentally, we also had the chance to talk to Idris Elba recently, and you can read that interview here.

The Hollywood Reporter