MTV.com, 20 April 2009
By Caleb Goellner

Even though director Kenneth Branagh has another two years before Marvel’s “Thor” film hits Midgard movie theaters, it feels like an eternity for fans waiting to hear casting news. Not long after potential Thunder God Channing Tatum revealed to MTV News that he wouldn’t be playing the film’s titular role as filmmakers sought a more Nordic-looking lead, it seems another actor might have been nixed as well. Despite his square chin and near-Asgardian surname, “Thor” Frontrunner and star of HBO’s “True Blood,” Alexander Skarsgård has indicated he may be out of the running.

When asked about reports that he’d be starring in the “Thor” film, Skarsgård told E Online, “No, I don’t think so. I haven’t gotten the call, so…”

Skarsgård, who was seen lunching with Branagh back in March, had perhaps the most buzz of any other actor in the running given how closely he fit the qualifications of Marvel’s “Thor” casting call.

Is Skarsgård really getting snubbed, or could he just be playing hard to get? Given Samuel L. Jackson and Mickey Rourke’s style of teasing until their Marvel roles were resolved, Skarsgård’s coyness might be nothing more than a bluff at this point. For now, fans will just have to keep their ears — and walking sticks — to the ground.