Thor Writer Reveals Hela Was Supposed To Appear in Early Script

Zack Stentz reveals that Hela was supposed to make an appearance in Thor. Kenneth Branagh's Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2011 introduced fans to the God of Thunder as it opened up the then-budding franchise's cosmic pocket. Over the years, the characters who debuted in the film have become key players in the universe like Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Odin (Anthony Hopkins). That said, if the writer got his way, the Goddess of Death would've also been in the film, which meant she would've also been in the franchise longer than she eventually did.

Introduced as the primary villain of Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok, Hela, played by Cate Blanchett, was revealed to be the secret daughter of Odin who was banished after she got too power-hungry. The death of the Allfather in the threequel paved the way for her to re-emerge and battle it out with Thor and Loki. In the end, the God of Thunder succeeded in defeating her and taking back Asgard from her reign. However, it turns out that there was an opportunity for Hela to debut in Thor as per the film's first script draft.

Taking it to his official Twitter account, Stentz, who wrote Thor's screenplay with Ashley Edward Miller and Don Payne, shared some fun details about the film. In a tweet, he revealed that in the first draft of the project's script, Hela was going to make a cameo during Thor's coronation. However, Miller asked him to take out the part although he didn't reveal why. Check out his full story below:

Since Stentz didn't reveal why his co-writer asked him to remove the bit, it's curious if Marvel Studios was already saving Hela for future Thor films. The franchise is known for playing the long game, so while they're susceptible to change, they typically have a bird's-eye view of a character's arc. Given this, it's possible that even if Kevin Feige and his team hadn't decided on how to incorporate the Goddess of Death down the road, they were set on using her and a humorous appearance in the Thor would've jeopardized that. Granted that the franchise can simply bring back the character in later films, there's also pressure to cast someone for the part, and since Blanchett's primary motivation to boarding the MCU is so she could work with Waititi, it's dubious if Marvel Studios could've cast someone with the same star power as she does.

Unfortunately, like many MCU villains, Hela's appearance seems to be a one-off thing as she supposedly met her end in Ragnarok. Of course, it's still possible that Marvel Studios finds a way for her return, especially since the film didn't explicitly show her dying. It's curious now how Hela's appearance in Thor would've changed the trajectory of the God of Thunder's films. While his sub-franchise was rocky at times, they finally found the right approach to the character as his adventures continue in Thor: Love & Thunder.

More: Every Major MCU Villain Who Wasn't Killed Off

Source: Zack Stentz