Crossovers definitely seem to be part of Marvel’s movie game plan. It's something that has been steadily incorporated into Iron Man and other Avengers fore-runners, but with each new incursion into the Marvel Universe, the need to tie up the continuity between characters grows.

Kenneth Branagh knows that better than anyone. While prepping Thor he was fully aware that his lead would be heading off (Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth) to join the superhero team-up, but that didn't prevent him from putting his own stamp on the proceedings.

Branagh may have looked like a strange choice, but Thor comic author J Michael Straczynski was always confident that the Brit had the right ear for Thor’s dialogue: “Thor, at his best, has always had a classic bent in terms of his history, the way he speaks and the often Shakespearean dramas that surround him,” he convincingly explains.

“That kind of dialogue and character needs someone who comes from a classically trained background in order for it not to sound forced or artificial. Branagh is the perfect choice.”