4 Aug – Hot on the heels of Marvel's new revelation of the "Thor" sequel's title, Christopher Eccleston has now been reported to be in final negotiations for the role of the villain in "Thor: The Dark World", alongside Loki (Tom Hiddleston), according to Collider. It is said that Eccleston is in final negotiations for the role of Malekith the Accursed. As the Marvel sequel's title of "The Dark World" suggests, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) may be battling the Dark Elves this time around, led by Malekith. The English actor is best known for his role as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the British television series "Doctor Who", but fans may also notice that he played the role of James McCullen a.k.a. Destro, a weapons designer and founder of the Military Armament Research Syndicate (MARS) and the main villain in the early part of Stephen Sommers' 2009 "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra". Previously, Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen was rumoured to be the new secondary villain, but it did not pan out. For those who have not read the comics, Malekith is a member of the race of dark elves who possesses a gifted intellect, superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes. As a dark elf, he also also has the ability to manipulate magic for teleportation, energy projection, physical malleability, flight, illusion casting, and transforming the shape and appearance of other beings or objects. However, there is still no confirmation on the comic plot that will be used to incorporate Loki and Malekith as yet.
Directed by Alan Taylor, "Thor: The Dark World" is currently slated for release on 14 November 2013 in Malaysia and Singapore. The superhero film stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba and Stellan Skarsgård.