Whether it is roaming the Halls of Asgaard, or back here on Earth, Thor is one of the few Marvel icons that has a legitimate claim to call themselves a god.
First created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, Thor first appeared in Marvel Comics in August 1962 but it took him considerably longer to make the transition from paper, to celluloid.
Despite rumours of a film being made in the 1990s, chiefly with Sam Raimi as the main instigator, the idea was shelved due to producers not understanding the concepts of the film. However, with the revival of superhero films in the 2000s, the idea once again came to the forefront. Although there were several changes in directors, eventually it was Kenneth Branagh who was brought on board to direct the first Thor film.
Thor (2011)
Thor starred Chris Hemsworth in the title role and the film was designed to fit into the ever increasing Marvel Universe series of films which also included Captain America, The Hulk and Ironman. Alongside Hemsworth, Tom Hiddlestone was cast superbly as Thor's calculating, mischievous brother Loki, Stellan Skarsgard was cast as Dr. Erik Selvig and Natalie Portman was cast as Thor's main love interest in the film, Dr. Jane Foster.
Other famous faces in the cast included Sir Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Rene Russo, in her first film role for many years, as Odin's wife (the somewhat unfortunately named 'Frigga') and Idris Elba as the all-seeing Heimdall.
The first film was generally considered a success upon release and it was clear from the end of the film, if it hadn't already been made clear from events within it, that Thor was to play a leading role alongside other heroes in what was becoming a Marvel Universe.
That eventually transpired a year later in 2012 when Loki, once again portrayed by Hiddlestone, attempted to subjugate the Earth after being expelled from Asgaard by Odin. Loki's army required more muscle than Thor could provide alone and as such, the first ensemble superheroes movie in the Marvel Universe, The Avengers (also known as Avengers Assemble) was born.
The Avengers (2012)
In The Avengers, Thor is brought together by the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D Nick Fury, who makes a brief appearance in a post-credits scene in the first Thor film. Alongside Thor, Captain America, Ironman, Hawkeye, Black Widow and The Hulk are brought together to fend off Loki's advancing army.
The initially fractious nature of the relationship between the heroes threatens to undermine Fury's Avengers initiative, but as the story progresses, the characters begin to bond and alliances are formed with the inevitable results.
The Avengers was a huge commercial success and the finale set up the potential for future movies, not just for the Avengers as a team, but also for each of the superheroes individually. It would not take long for Thor to be called back into action.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
After the events in The Avengers, Thor faces a new foe in the Dark Elf Malekith, played by Christopher Ecclestone. The Dark Elf is attempting to wield supreme power by harvesting the force of the Aether, a mysterious ethereal weapon that is entombed in a stone column.
Unfortunately, at the start of the film, Thor's Earth-based girlfriend Dr. Jane Foster is transported to the column and becomes infected by the Aether and in doing so awakens the suspended Malakith who attempts to exact a terrible revenge for his defeat aeons ago.
Thor the Dark World was another successful outing for the popular superhero and further saw the development of the characters, especially Loki who genuinely leaves audiences wondering whether he is a hero, villain or a perfect mixture of both.
Once again, it would only be a couple of years before Thor returned to film, once again called upon by the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D to come to the Earth's rescue.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and Beyond
After a peacekeeping program is jumpstarted by Tony Stark, and goes horrifically wrong, the mighty Ultron is released (played by the velvety tones of James Spader) and once again Thor is called into action alongside his superhero friends to confront and hopefully destroy this dangerous new threat.
This new film introduces several other Marvel characters at the end of the film and with the seeming disbandment of the original Avengers team at the end, is this the end for S.H.I.E.L.D's Avengers initiative?
That remains to be seen, but what is not in doubt is that Thor will be back. Slated for a 2017 release, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddlestone have already been confirmed as reprising their role for the third film in the Thor storyline, Thor: Ragnarok, which tells the tale of how the Asgaardian heroes will deal with the norse mythology's end of times.
That is not all though as Thor is also scheduled to reappear in the next Avengers movie, Infinity War, which is slated to be released in May 2018.
Thor in online pokies
Thor appeared in an online slot machine for the first time in 2006 when Microgaming released Thunderstruck. This game was released five years prior to the first Thor movie. While Thunderstruck is not directly linked to the Thor movies franchise the similarities are there.
Thunderstruck II was released in 2010, one year before Chris Hemsworth first flexed his muscles as Thor on the silver screen. Thunderstruck II is an outstanding sequel to Thunderstruck setting new standards in slot gaming.
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