Director Kenneth Branagh Defends The Casting Of Idris Elba As Heimdal In THOR

The director of THOR, Kenneth Branagh took the time to chat with Empire and addressed the controversy, if you recalled, there were certain folks out there who thought Idris Elba as Heimdall was wrong because nordic gods were supposed to only be Caucasian. Branagh defended his actor..

“Idris Elba is a fantastic actor – we were lucky to get him. He provides all the characteristics we need from Asgard’s gatekeeper, the man who says, “Thou shalt not pass”. When Idris Elba says that, you know you’re gonna have a problem. He’s smart, intelligent, handsome and an absolute joy to work with. If you have a chance to have a great actor in the part, everything else is irrelevant.
“If you’re going to say the colour of his skin matters in a story like this, look at 50 years of Thor comics to see how many ways great artists have bent alleged ‘rules’. Look at the Norse myths to see the way they confounded and contradicted themselves. That whole ‘controversy’ was a surprising – and daft – moment.”

THOR opens May 6th, 2011