How Chris Hemsworth’s Thor Almost Got Written Out Of The MCU In Early Scripts ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

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Back when Marvel was still playing it relatively safe with Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, the idea of launching Thor almost didn’t make the cut. The studio wrestled with how to make a literal god work in a universe that was, at the time, trying to stay grounded. There were early drafts floating around where Thor was barely even part of the long-term plan. Yep, the God of Thunder was nearly benched before the game even began.

Before The Thunder: How Thor Survived Hollywood’s Director Shuffle

Long before Chris Hemsworth swung the hammer, the project bounced between hands. Sam Raimi once had eyes on it after Darkman, but the studio shrugged. Years later, Matthew Vaughn was in, then out, after trying to trim the budget. Guillermo del Toro was this close, but ditched it for The Hobbit, which he also eventually left. Finally, Kenneth Branagh stepped in — yes, the Shakespeare guy. He brought gravitas and classical flair to something that could’ve easily become a CGI bloat-fest.

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Branagh’s name alone roped in heavyweights. Natalie Portman admitted, “I just thought it sounded like a weird idea because Kenneth Branagh’s directing it, so I was just like, ‘Kenneth Branagh doing Thor is super-weird, I’ve gotta do it.’” Stellan Skarsgård and Idris Elba said yes for the same reason. It gave the film credibility. Prestige. A shot at being more than just a god with a hammer.