Thor 2 might be behind Iron Man 3 in Marvel’s production calendar, but the the Norse God isn’t about to let Tony Stark steal all his, erm, thunder, with the announcement that Mads Mikkelsen is set to join the cast as a new villain.
Mikkelsen is currently wowing Cannes with his turn in The Hunt , and Variety reports that the Danish star will play a currently unnamed antagonist in the forthcoming sequel. The suggestion is that chief villain duties will be shared with Tom Hiddleston’s Loki.
The casting news backs up Kevin Feige’s earlier revelation that Thor would have “another big villain” to contend with alongside Loki. Of course, by holding back just who he’ll be playing, Marvel have guaranteed plenty of fanboy chatter to build excitement before the film’s release.
As for the theme of the film as a whole, Feige has described it as a love story, with Thor and Jane’s relationship at the forefront once more.
“[ The heart of the movie is ] Thor and Jane, to continue that dynamic,” says Feige. “Really they were only together for three days, and do they love each other? Do they like each other? Do they know each other? We’re acknowledging that that love story in the first movie was sort of a quick crush, essentially, over the course of three quick days in the middle of the desert.”
Thor 2 will open in the US on 15 November 2013, with a UK date to be confirmed.