THOR Swings Down His Hammer in Mid-January in L.A.; Will Move to Santa Fe from March through Late-April

It’s been a bit of a trek for the Norse god, but according to Production Weekly it looks like Thor will finally begin shooting mid-January in Los Angeles and then move to Santa Fe from March through late-April.  That’s a four-month shoot (assuming that the production doesn’t move to a third location following their work in New Mexico), but keep in mind that Thor will have an intensive post-production as they complete all the special effects.  Even if they’re shooting past April, they’ll definitely have something to show if Marvel brings the flick to next year’s San Diego Comic-Con (and I can’t think of a reason why they wouldn’t).  Hit the jump if you need a refresher on the plot and the cast.

For those just tuning in, Thor is based off the popular Marvel comic.  The movie follows Thor (Chris Hemsworth) a Norse God banished to Earth for his arrogance and reckless behavior in the Asgard, the capital city of the Norse Gods.  On Earth, he falls in love with a nurse named Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), but must become a true hero when his sinister brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) brings the darkest forces of Asgard to wreak destruction on humanity.  Directed by Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet), the film co-stars Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård, Dominic Cooper, Jaimie Alexander, and Colm Feore.

Originally scheduled to hit theaters next summer, Thor will now hit theaters May 20, 2011.  Obviously, we’re all happy that Marvel is giving this film, along with their other superhero movies in development, the time and the space to be the best movie possible rather than rushing towards an arbitrary deadline for the vaunted Avengers movie which would team up heroes such as Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and others.  In the meantime, you still get Iron Man 2 on May 7, 2010 so you have no reason to complain.