It seemed unlikely at the time and as much as I wrote about it and people kept confirming it, I could hardly believe that it was true, the great Shakespearean writer, director and actor Kenneth Branagh was going to be directing a superhero film, and Thor no less.

Well it seems we're getting confirmation, and it shows that Branagh is deadly serious about taking this up as his next project as he's dropped a directorial stint in the West End directing a production of Hamlet, and one where he brought in the lead actor.

Kenneth Branagh was set to direct Hamlet in the Donmar Warehouse and had even pulled in Jude Law to play Hamlet. Law was pretty excited about the role:

“It was Ken who brought me to this project...With his support and guidance, as one of the greatest Hamlets of all time...I can't imagine a better scenario for me, as an actor, to undertake the role.”

However he's happy about the replacement, as according to the BBC Michael Grandage, the artistic director of the venue, is to take over the directing of the project.

Grandage was thrilled and flattered to be working with Law in Hamlet and it seems is not bitter about the departure of Branagh in order to clear his schedule for Thor.

“We have arrived at this arrangement very amicably...From the outset Ken has been a huge support and inspiration for the Donmar West End season, a project that we could not have realised without his input.”

What's great is that they are offering a refund to any people who already have tickets for the Branagh production and don't want to see it without him directing – when would you ever hear of that in the cinema? Mind you, they don't change directors that quickly in Hollywood, well not very often.

So it looks like the Thor project is pretty serious for Kenneth Branagh, I mean giving up this production of Shakespeare's Hamlet after selecting Jude Law for the lead is pretty big stuff don't you think?

Now it's Thor on the slate, and you have to wonder if Branagh can pull it off. Well I think he can, if he's left to have free reign. The character is as epic and dramatic and carries a few similarities to a big stage production from a Shakespearean or Greek play.

Yes, there's big action stuff too, and I guess that's where my concern would lie. I mean we've had Dead Again and Frankenstein from the director, both with lacklustre results, although I think his Frankenstein had some positives about it.

However despite those two his other films have been stunning, and with Mark Protosevich having written the script, you have to be thinking that they're going all out on this one. Oh, if you didn't realise, Protosevich wrote the I Am Legend (Filmstalker review) screenplay as well as The Cell, which I think is very good, and the Poseiden remake...ah, move on.

What do you think superhero and Thor fans, is Branagh a good choice? Then there's the flip side, all you Branagh fans (of which I think there will be much less than Thor fans) what do you think of the news?