When it was initially reported that director Kenneth Branagh had cast legendary British actor Brian Blessed as Odin in his Thor movie, there wasn’t a single person on the planet who wasn’t instantly overjoyed at the idea of such a perfect casting decision. Not only was he physically the right choice, but with his booming voice and jovial personality, it really is hard to picture anyone else in the role of the Norse All-Father.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be, as Paramount (who were distributing Marvel Studios movies at the time) decided to play it safe and go with the much more bankable Anthony Hopkins instead, as Blessed is largely unknown in the US. No disrespect to Hopkins, who did a fine job in the role, but we could have had Brian Blessed as Odin, dammit!
Well, it looks like our prayers have finally been answered, as Blessed has now been cast as Odin in the new short film Eric and the Barbarian. Sure, it’s not the Marvel version of the character (is there really any difference?) but this is still the role that fans have always wanted to see him play.
In Eric the Barbarian, Odin sends his son Thannuth Warwolf (don’t ask about Thor and Loki) down to Earth to help a bullied and insecure guy named Eric to become a man. Directed by Ben Mottershead, it will also star Sam Twyman and Diane Youdale.
If you want to see Brian Blessed become Odin as much as, well, everyone, then head over to Kickstarter to donate some cash so that Eric and the Barbarian can move forward. You can catch Blessed in action as Odin in the campaign video below.
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