It’s official: a sequel to this summer’s blockbuster Thor is in the works. This shouldn’t really come as a surprise: the Marvel superhero flick has grossed $437.5 million thus far. Chris Hemsworth will reprise as the God of Thunder, but Kenneth Branagh will not return to helm. He is expected to remain on the team as a producer, though. The search for a new director is currently underway. Obviously a plot has yet to be fully mapped out, but if you waited until after the credits rolled at Thor (spoiler alert) then you’ll know that Loki is still around and I’m sure his existence will factor into the new story. In that same scene, Dr. Selvig is introduced to Samuel L. Jackson’s omnipresent Nick Fury so there’s plenty of material to expand upon in the future. Here’s some solid news: Disney confirms a July 26, 2013 release. The summer of ’13 is certainly one to anticipate; Robert Downey Jr. returns to the big screen in Iron Man 3 on May 3.

[Via Deadline; The-Numbers]