Thor’s Mom is Rene Russo

I’m convinced we’ll still be getting Thor casting announcements months after the film is actually released. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, they’ll all sign on for the Marvel comics adaptation eventually.

But to be serious, Variety reports that actress Rene Russo has joined the ensemble cast of Kenneth Branagh’s Thor. She will be playing the role of Frigga, Thor and Loki’s mother and Odin’s wife, or wench or maiden. You’ll remember Rene Russo from her academy award winning performance as Natasha in The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle alongside the great Robert DeNiro.

Russo joins an already impressive cast of Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Stuart Townsend, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgard and Ray Stevenson.

Filming for Thor begins in January with a release date of May 20, 2011.