While we can’t confirm director Kenneth Branagh is working in the format for the Marvel film, the luggage on set sure looks like it. If only we could rotate the image a few feet to the right...

The equipment in question is the 3D-BS Pro Rig. It was created as an affordable rigging system to shoot in 3D with the RED Camera. Keep in mind, the RED shoots in digital, which I can’t imagine an old-school filmmaker like Branagh doing. But times change, and Branagh’s Hamlet was Danish, not Norse. It would be a bit distracting if the apparition in Hamlet was hovering over the movie screen. With the advancements in 3D and IMAX technology, however, 3D may be the only way to tell Thor’s tale on the scale necessary.

This shouldn’t come as an overwhelming surprise, though. The general public is starting to recognize the differences between gimmicky post-production 3D and movies “filmed in 3D.” 'Thor' is not a film to be taken lightly, and the subject matter will lend itself to some battles well-worth the 3D efforts. Marvel knows what is in store, and if the crew is filming this way, it is the right move. But the camera doesn’t necessarily mean they are shooting in 3D. It could actually just mean the IMAX format is being used.

Branagh used 65mm film to shoot his Shakespeare epic 'Hamlet' some years back, so the director is used to working in large formats and it would make even more sense to prepare for an IMAX release using 70mm film. It is becoming almost customary to present major blockbusters in IMAX, even though many of them are not actually shot in the format.

Until we find out what that camera is facing, there isn’t much else to speculate, but hopefully news surfaces soon enough about the formats being used to film Thor. If they are actually shooting the film in 3D, it will make for a much better experience, I think. Let’s face it, the movie could ultimately be released in 3D regardless of how it is shot, so the steps they take during production will be important.

Could that mysterious camera be facing Idris Elba, the actor portraying Heimdall in Thor? Elba spoke briefly about the role during a press conference for his upcoming role in 'The Losers'. The actor is doing his research and hopes to portray a character fans will recognize from the comic book lore. Hey, isn’t this what we asked Chris Evans to do for 'Captain America'?

“If you know anything about the Nords, they don’t look like me but there you go. I think that’s a sign of the times for the future. I think we will see multi-level casting. I think we will see that and I think that’s good.”

“I looked at the comic books actually because Heimdall, he’s a very central character and I wanted to reflect him as he is in the comic books.”

Would you like your Norse gods in 3D and/or IMAX? Sound off in the comments below or just speculate about what the camera may be shooting.

Thor is set to unleash on theaters May 6, 2011.