The cast of Thor aligns!

A whole bunch of talented actors are lining up to star in Kenneth Branagh‘s Thor, the latest in a long line of Marvel Comics film adaptations. After the jump, check out which stars will join the Norse God in battle!

Before we jump into the cast of characters, let’s take a look at the official plot synopsis from Marvel:

Marvel Studios expands its film universe with a new type of super hero: “Thor.” This epic adventure spans the Marvel Universe; from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns 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.

Back in May we reported that Home and Away star Chris Hemsworth had nabbed the title role in the upcoming superhero flick. He caught the world’s attention with a short role in Star Trek as Captain George Kirk.

Not long after, Natalie Portman signed on to play Jane Foster, a modern-day nurse who steals the heart of the fallen Norse God Thor.

Since then, casting announcements have come thick and fast. I figured it’s about time we caught up! Heatvision Blog reported at the end of October that Anthony Hopkins is in negotiations to play Odin, Thor’s father and ruler of Asgard.

They also revealed that Idris Elba (Stringer Bell from The Wire) would play Heimdell, guardian of Asgard.

Kat Dennings (Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist) has also been revealed to be part of the cast, although her role is still unknown. Peter Sciretta at Slashfilm puts forward a convincing case that Dennings will play Marcy Lewis, a sarcastic college student undertaking an internship at a scientific lab. Not sure how this will play into the film.

Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano and Stuart Townsend will portray The Warriors Three, valiant fighters who stand alongside Thor. Stevenson will portray Volstagg the Valiant, Asano will take on Hogun the Grim, and Townsend will play Fandral the Dashing.

They join Tom Hiddleston as Thor’s nemesis Loki, Jamie Alexander as an Asgardian warrior named Sif as well as Colm Feore, who is slated to play an as yet unnamed villain.

Thor begins shooting in January and is slated for release May 20 2011.

Discuss: How does the combination of this cast, director and story appeal to you?