Kenneth Branagh to star in Jack Ryan franchise

"I will be in Jack Ryan. The character presented itself in a way that seemed to be just right in the size of the role, the nature of the role and it was actually how I was first approached about it," Branagh, 51, said.u00a0

Earlier reports suggested that the "Thor" director was in talks to play the villain in the new Jack Ryan film, reported Access Hollywood. While he didn't clarify which role he was taking, Branagh explained that the new project about the famed character from Tom Clancy, a part previously played by Alec Baldwin and Ben Affleck, is an origin-style story.

"It is an origin story that allows us to understand how Jack Ryan, created by Tom Clancy, whose very much involved with this version, develops into a CIA analyst, so this is before joining perhaps even joining the CIA. It's a very contemporary action film," he said.