There is some casting news to report today in regards to the highly anticipated sequel to Thor. Early yesterday it was announced that Josh Dallas would not be reprising the role of Fandral due to his television commitments with Once Upon a Time. The information was not that mind blowing because there were so few parts in the original for this character outside of an initial battle scene and a few screen sharing cutaways; however, it is in the lens of a second effort that could promise more of the warriors three in order to create an Avengers vibe which qualifies this as fairly significant news.
Things certainly moved fast as Disney is reportedly in hot pursuit of signing Zachary Levi to the role. The actor was original slated to play Fandral back in 2010′s franchise launcher but had to drop out due to commitments to Chuck. Now with his five-season-long action dramedy in the can, the actor is free and expected to take up the gig as soon as the role is officially offered to him. If all goes as planned, this would be the second theatrical project that Levi would have had for the studio as he also voiced the character of Flynn in the big budget animated feature Tangled.
As for information about Thor 2, there has not been much seeing how shooting is yet to even begin. The film will be under the direction of Game of Thrones‘ Alan Taylor with expected returns from Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, and Anthony Hopkins. Recent casting news actually put the villain as Casino Royale’s Mad Mikkelson who has merely been described at this time as ‘a major antagonist.’
Look for the movie to hit theaters in November 2013.