Levi

With the news that actor Josh Dallas won’t be returning to Thor 2 in the role of Fandral due to his commitment as one of the male leads for Once Upon A Time, which was picked up by ABC for a second season, this leaves a gap in the troupe of Sif and The Warrior’s Three. With the sequel set to film in the coming months, Marvel will obviously try to fill Dallas’ place, and it seems they may have found their man with an actor who seems fit for a role right out of the comics.

THR reports that Zachary Levi (Chuck, Tangled) is currently in early talks to take over as Fandral in Thor 2. Negotations have not yet begun for Levi, but it’s said that an offer for Levi to come aboard is imminent. If successful, Levi will join a cast that includes previously confirmed Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Jaimie Alexander, Mads Mikkelsen, and more.

Marvel made no comment on the casting news, but it seems like a character fit for Levi. The actor has been a self-proclaimed nerd for years and has shown his more geeky love for all things comics at Comic-Con, E3, various interviews, and even the founding of his own community The Nerd Machine. While fans have wanted to see Levi in a DC or Marvel capacity on film, Levi really hasn’t had the chance to break out in films before. His first big hit came when he lent his voice to Disney’sTangled in 2010, and he’s managed to star in sequels not well received by critics such as Big Momma’s House 2 and Alvin and the Chipmunks The Squeakuel. With Chuck wrapping up earlier this year, he managed to film a pilot for FOX that unfortunately wasn’t picked up, and he now has the summer free to possibly travel to London for Thor 2.

Directed by Alan Taylor, Thor 2‘s plot details are currently being kept under wraps. Hemsworth has mentioned that even he hasn’t read the script yet, but responded to rumors that The Enchantress will show up in the film by dream casting Snow White and the Huntsman co-star Charlize Theron. No confirmation or denial of the female character has yet been made by Marvel, but that news is expected to drop in the coming months as San Diego Comic-Con comes around and production starts up. Mikkelsen is said to be an antagonist role that has yet to be described, but could have some ties to the war-criminal Loki who may be under lock and key after the events of The Avengers.

Currently, the sequel is scheduled to hit theaters on November 8th, 2013.