Tadanobu Asano featured in character poster for Kenneth Branagh's "Thor"

by Chris MaGee

One topic of conversation we get into a lot here at the J-Film Pow-Wow is what kind of roles Tadanobu Asano should be taking, specifically in Hollywood films. We're all big fans of the 37-year-old actor, but we've been a bit wary of the parts he's been taking in such films as the upcoming 3D version of "The Loyal 47 Ronin" starring Keanu Reeves and directed by Carl Erik Rinsch, or Peter Berg‘s board game-to-screen "Battleship". Will these really put Asano where we're assuming he wants to be, namely in the same league as Ken Watanabe and Rinko Kikuchi? It's doubtful, but one film that may help to raise the profile of "Japan's Johnny Depp" is Kenneth Branagh's Marvel Comics adaptation "Thor". A new series of character posters for the upcoming summer blockbuster have recently surfaced online with Asano featured on one of them as Hogun, one of the divine Warriors Three who descend to Earth from Thor's home of Asgard. You can take a full hi-res look at Asano's poster from Thor at Movie Jungle, and then you tell us: Will this role launch Asano into super stardom in Hollywood?