Thor Writer Reveals MCU's Hela Appeared In Original Script of 2011 Chris Hemsworth Film

By Pete Hernandez Posted: September 10, 2020

Thor portrayed by Chris Hemsworth, and Hela portrayed by Cate Blanchett

Whether it was the stellar soundtrack, the impressive cinematography, or the improvised humor, Thor: Ragnarok quickly became among the Marvel Cinematic Universe's favorite, if not most enjoyable, films to be released. The teaser trailer landed the sixth overall spot on The Direct's Top 10 MCU Trailers of All-Time , and its ranking was highlighted by the first look at Hela, the Goddess of Death, portrayed by Cate Blanchett.

Hela made quite the impression in her MCU debut, and recent concept art reminded fans why the Goddess of Death was tapped as the villain in Thor: Ragnarok. Now, new details have been revealed that show how Hela could very well have made an earlier debut in Asgard, dating all the way back to the first film in the franchise.

NEWS

Screenwriter Zack Stentz, whose writing credits include X-Men: First Class and Marvel Studios' Thor , revealed in a "Marvel Twitter confessions thread" that an early version of his Thor script included an appearance by the Goddess of Death:

In the 1st draft of the script, during Thor's coronation at one point I had Volstagg blurt out "What the hell!" and Hela turn around & glare at him until he said "Sorry; figure of speech." Ash made me take out the joke, which is fortunate given the events of Ragnarok...

Stentz also highlighted just how extensive the writing process was in completing a first draft of the script:

First draft took 3 weeks.

WHAT THIS MEANS

The long-standing belief is that Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige has an intricate roadmap detailing the future of the MCU, with plans for characters and story arcs well ahead of schedule. We may never know if Feige had plans for Hela since the beginning, but it's clear, according to Thor writer Zack Stentz, that the Goddess of Death was in play to make an appearance, even if it were to be a brief one.

Hindsight forever remains 20/20, and given the performance that Cate Blanchett gave as Hela in Thor: Ragnarok , it likely turned out for the best that the Goddess of Death's appearance was saved for the third film, rather than having to follow-up a brief cameo.

The three week writing process to compile a first draft of the film details just how extensive the undertaking is, and for an MCU film no less. Given that the 2011 film would mark the first official appearance of the God of Thunder, there's no doubt the writing team had to ensure the illustration of the character of Thor was executed properly. Nine years later and Thor Odinson is still a fixture in the MCU, so it's not far-fetched to say the writers did right by the character.