Idris Elba will be returning to the Thor series.

The British actor - who played the role of guardian Heimdall in the first instalment of the action movie starring Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hilddleston - has confirmed he will be back for the second feature, which is due to begin filming this year.

Asked if he had any Marvel projects in the future, he said, "Thor 2, for sure. We're going at it again." However, he admits he has yet to meet the film's director Alan Taylor, who took over after Patty Jenkins dropped out due to differences of opinion.

Natalie Portman - who played Jane Foster in the 2011 film - is also widely expected to return, although she was said to have been annoyed at Patty being sidelined in the project. The first Thor, which told the tale of the leader of the Norse Gods, played by Sir Anthony Hopkins, banishing his son to earth, made $448.5 million at the box office worldwide.