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Asgard has just added another brilliant actor to their semi-immortal ranks. According to The Hollywood Reporter](Heat Vision), Idris Elba has joined the cast of *Thor *as Heimdall, guardian of the Bifrost Bridge. He’s the man you have to pass if you hope to start some stuff in Asgard, and as he’s all-seeing and all-knowing, good luck trying to kick his butt.
Elba’s casting is undoubtedly going to cause a bit of a stir, as the Heimdallof the Marvel comics *is *a redhaired Caucasian. In the original Nordic myths, he was even called “the whitest of the gods” which seems like a thousand tasteless jokes in the making. (For the record, “whitest” refers to the light he emanated, not his skin color.) I imagine a lot of people are going to make those jokes, complain about things being PC, and just be very unpleasant.
But you know what? The Asgardians are gods. They can be any color they want, and should be. Marvel’s Thor is also distinctly different than the original Norse myths, and I think a diverse cast is a fantastic and appropriate idea. Plus, this is Idris Elba. He’s the kind of badass you want on that Bifrost Bridge, guarding the city gates, and having throwdowns with Thor. (He’s *always *trying to prevent everyone’s favorite blonde from going in or out of Asgard.) Kudos to Kenneth Branagh for recognizing that, and for creating an Ultimate Heimdall in the course of pre-production.