Exclusive Thor footage leaked – watch it while you still can!

Thanks to another leak from the San Diego Comics Convention - an annual event encompassing not just comic books but all related media - an exclusive five-minute clip of footage from the upcoming Thor finally made its way online after months of teasing from Marvel and Paramount Studios.

The Mighty Thor is 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.

Marvel's Thor was first envisaged by superhero maestro Stan Lee along with Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby in 1962, and took its starting point from Norse mythology while incorporating the hammer-wielding thunder god into Marvel Comics' overall superhero mythos.

The film, set for a May 2011 release and directed by Shakespeare veteran Kenneth Branagh, will similarly form part of a bigger picture. Already alluded to in the after-credits sequence of this year's Iron Man 2 (in which the military discover Thor's mythical hammer Mjonlir), Thor, played by Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, will also appear in 2012's The Avengers, which will bring together some of Marvel's top superheroes as a crime-fighting 'dream team'.

Thor features an ensemble cast including Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Rene Russo, Idris Elba and Tom Hiddleston as Thor's devious half-brother Loki, amongst others. Branagh, who was called in to replace Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Kick-Ass) on the production, was seen as an inspired choice by many, since the comic book Thor is known for its cod-Shakespearean dialogue, grandiose sagas and godly 'court' intrigue... elements which could either flourish or flounder at the hands of a less assured director.