Thor has had a long and storied history in the pages of Marvel comics, but the character has reached a whole new level of popularity with his role in the MCU. With Chris Hemsworth bringing the God of Thunder to life, Thor has gone through many changes throughout the films and often feels very different from the comic book hero.
While comic book fans are often very particular when it comes to adapting beloved characters, there are a few changes within the MCU that they’ve enjoyed. This new take on Thor as a hero helped him become one of the biggest names in cinema.
8 The origins of Donald Blake
As with many comic book characters, Thor’s origins are quite complicated, and there are several different versions to consider. However, the first iteration of the character in Marvel comics is tied to the character of Donald Blake.
As Redditor Rexiel44 points out, Blake “was originally a normal guy” living on Earth who found the hammer Mjolnir that gave him the powers of Thor. However, even Marvel seemed to recognize the flawed nature of those origins and quickly pieced them together with a new story that revealed that Blake was actually Thor all along and the hammer simply awakened his powers.
7 The way he talks
Thor has always been a larger than life character, even compared to other superheroes in the Marvel Universe. Part of what made him seem even more over the top was his unique way of speaking in the comics. Editor Unchained71 describes Thor speaking “like he’s straight out of a Shakespeare play,” which wouldn’t quite translate to a live-action movie.
While the first film’s fish-out-of-water storyline managed to pull off this kind of talk surprisingly well, subsequent films gradually slacked off until it was dropped altogether by the time Thor: Ragnarok came with.
6 Her Avengers: Endgame Look
Like many MCU heroes, Thor’s look has gone through many changes throughout the films, but his transformation into Avengers: Endgame was certainly the most radical. After falling into a depression after enduring many tragic events, Thor is reintroduced as a heavier, hairier thunder god.
While the transformation signaled a darker mood for the hero, fans loved the new look for other reasons as well. Editor cad_e_an_sceal appreciated that this new style was “more in keeping with Norse mythos” than ever before in the comics.
5 Playing with his role as god
There’s always been an interesting connection between Marvel’s version of Thor and the version that exists in Norse mythology as a god. While there are obviously big differences between the two, the comics have always portrayed Thor as if he were an ancient god while the movies offer a more complicated answer.
The movies establish that the Asgardians are seen by some as those same characters from Norse mythology. However, Redditor CheckMateX thinks the movies made the wise decision to suggest that Thor is actually “an alien from a distant planet” and that the Asgardians are just a powerful and ancient race.
4 No secret identity
While Marvel pieced together Donald Blake’s original Thor origin, they kept the character as Thor’s secret identity on Earth. It was a walking doctor with a cane that was actually a Mjolnir in magical disguise. Tapping his cane would transfer him into the Mighty Thor.
However, the MCU has apparently taken little interest in secret identities, with the exception of Spider-Man. Thor, like many of his fellow Avengers, has become a well-known public figure in the world of these films. Editor Sere1 praised this choice as the lack of secret identities allowed “the characters to just be themselves.”
3 No addiction to his hammer
Another odd addition to Donald Blake’s story was that Thor’s powers were tied directly to his hammer. While he was a powerful god when using Mjolnir, those powers would fade the further he got away from it. Editor Unchained71 described the gimmick as “his Kryptonite”.
Admittedly, Mjolnir played a big role in Thor’s film history, notably showing him that he was worthy of his powers in the first. Thor movie. However, Thor: Ragnarok made a point of showing that Thor was not the “god of hammers” and that he was powerful even after Mjolnir was destroyed.
2 Sense of humor
As the MCU’s first hero, it’s interesting how Tony Stark set the tone for the cinematic universe. With Robert Downey Jr.’s fun and hilarious performance, every Marvel movie that followed has been infused with a healthy dose of comedy.
Thor from the comics was never a very fun hero with his arrogance and sternness as a god. Early Thor films were criticized for also making the character too boring. However, the new management of Thor: Ragnarok allowed Chris Hemsworth to embrace his comedic side and Thor became one of the funniest characters in the MCU. While it was an unexpected path for the character, fans like Redditor vinnybawbaw admitted “funny Thor was well done.”
1 No cloning
Corn Captain America: Civil War featured a number of other Marvel heroes besides Captain America himself, its scope was much smaller than the comic storyline it was based on. Notably, Thor was not included in the film while his involvement in the comics was complicated.
Unable to find Thor to join his team, Tony Stark created a clone of Thor who also possessed his powers. While this was an interesting development in the comics, many fans were happy that it didn’t make the transition to the movies. As Redditor smileimhigh claimed, the script would be “too fanciful for the big screen”.
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