Clifton in Thor?

Kenneth Branagh’s feature version of Marvel’s Thunder God THOR has been going through the casting process, and so far the lead roles have been filled by relative unknowns.

Will a familiar face be joining the tale, as either a fellow Asgardian or a mere earthbound mortal? Omnipresent actor Clifton Collins Jr. is apparently up for a role, since he’s discussing it on twitter the past couple of days: “Studying my ass off for THOR, gonna be a late night, well worth the loss of sleep!”

Viewers of STAR TREK saw the mercurial Collins appear as Romulan Eric Bana’s henchman, and he also recently popped up as the villain in CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE. You may have also spotted in him BABEL, SUNSHINE CLEANING, TRAFFIC, TIGERLAND, THE RULES OF ATTRACTION, THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS, and of course, the brilliant MINDHUNTERS.

The production is gearing up now (for a May 2011 release), so casting should solildify quickly. The official synopsis for THOR: “This epic adventure spans the Marvel Universe; from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.”