Marvel Studios has settled on their villain for the upcoming Thor: The Dark World, with Christopher Eccleston signing on to play Malekith the Accursed.

In the Marvel comic books, Malekith the Accursed is the leader of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, who clashed many times with the mighty Thor. We reported just a few weeks ago that the Dark Elves were a part of the sequel's story line, which makes sense given the new title. Mads Mikkelsen was originally set to play the villain, although he was forced to drop out of the project, since he signed on to play the title character in NBC's Hannibal.

Alan Taylor is directing from a screenplay by Thor writer Don Payne. Chris Hemsworth is returning as the title character, alongside Thor stars Tom Hiddleston, Jaimie Alexander, Idris Elba, and Stellan Skarsgård.

Production will get under way this September. CLICK HERE to read a letter sent to Surrey, U.K. residents last week that gives some intriguing details about the production.