Of the upcoming projects on the Marvel Studios slate, the adaptation of Thor seems to have come with the most speculation and cynicism. Unlike Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk or Captain America, Thor is more than just a man — he’s a god. That element of his character is looked upon by fans and pundits as the one thing that could steer his feature film debut toward being kitschy and completely implausible. Though as director Kenneth Branagh explained when he spoke for the first time about the project this week to MTV, there is more to it than just science fantasy, saying that the appeal of Thor is “to work on a story about one of the immortals, Gods, extraordinary beings, inter-dimensional creatures.”

“There’s science fiction and science fact and fantasy all woven into one,” he continued excitedly. “It’s based on Norse legends which Marvel sort of raided in a brilliant way.”

Branagh also commented on casting rumors, including that of Kevin Kidd’s involvement, saying that it is too soon to have a lead in place. Though to the delight of some fans, Branagh did promise that “someone sensational is going to play the part.” That person will undoubtedly be part of a rather sensational undertaking, as the director also talked about the film as “a chance to tell a big story on a big scale. It’s a human story right in the center of a big epic scenario.”

A “sensational” star in the role, an epic scale with all sorts of extraordinary beings and creatures — now that sounds like fun.