Thor ’s character inThe Avengerswas almost cut down substantially - but , fortunately , Chris Hemsworth was cast for the part , and Marvel reconsidered . Marvel Studios has developed a report for play the long game , but in accuracy , back during Phase 1 the studio was playing it by ear . It ’s not hard to spot the grounds for this;only one of the Phase 1 post - mention scenes even makes sense .

Phase 1 was something of a gamble . Marvel   had put together a trade name - new , comparatively inexperienced moving picture studio , and they were stress to make something that had never been done before ; a shared universe of interconnected films , that at last built to a orgasm in a monumental crossover voter plastic film event . The pressure was intense , especially onThe Avengers . If that had n’t worked , Marvel ’s entire scheme would have failed . As a result , Marvel put in a lot of attempt examine to get it right , particularly when it came to the script . Their effort pay off off;The Avengersgrossed over $ 1.5 billion in the global box office , and the future of the MCU was secure .

associate : Marvel ’s Original MCU Phase 1 Plan Ended With A Very Different Avengers

thor alongside the marvel god atun

But , on the button becauseThe Avengerswent through so many different iteration , it ’s enchanting to study what road Marvel did n’t trip . One surprising fact is that the God of Thunder , Thor , almost had a much smaller role , which is dry considering , byAvengers : Infinity War , Thor became one of the most popular Marvel hoagie of all .

The Avengers Script Changed A Lot (Even Before Whedon)

Zak Penn is   one of the most prolific writers of superhero laughable book adaptations . He sell his first hand , Last Action Hero , at age 23 , and since then has been screenwriter on a whole horde of superhero movies ; he was involve ( to vary degrees ) withX2 : X - Men United , Elektra , X - Isle of Man : The Last Stand , The Incredible Hulk , andThe Avengers . Penn begin piece of work on the script forThe Avengersall the room back in 2006 , and it exit through countless unlike iterations over the years , until at last he submitted his last draft in early 2010 . When Whedon fall on board , he took over as both author and conductor . As Whedon admit toGQ , " There was a script . There just was n’t a hand I was buy the farm to film a word of . "

Penn himself seems to have been a little disappointed by the experience . " We could have collaborated more , " he noted , " but that was   [ Whedon ’s ] choice . He want to do it his mode , and I respect that . " Not much is know about Penn ’s handwriting , but it ’s reasonable to assume the overall structure was the same ; the Avengers are up against Loki , they ab initio have a traditional superhero struggle in the center , and they team up for an action sequence at the last . But Penn has gone public about   one crucial element ; he was n’t win over Thor would work , and actively essay to limit the God of Thunder ’s role in the franchise ’s first team - up film .

Zak Penn Tried To Downplay Thor In The Avengers

Back in the previous 2000s , Marvel really was n’t confident Thor would be a good scene for their shared cinematic population . Iron Manhad been successful in part because it seek to tell a superhero story in " the earthly concern outside your window , " a maxim traditionally associated with Stan Lee ’s imaginativeness of Marvel Comics . That ’s why Tony Stark ’s origin story was moved to Afghanistan , and he wound up trade with terrorist and corrupt industrialists ; it ’s even whyThe Avengersends in New York City . Marvel build the MCU on a scientific base , and Tony ’s more fantastical enemy - likethe alien dragon Fan Fang Foom- were submit to cunning Easter eggs in sequels . But how well would Asgard and the God of Thunder correspond into this ? Nowadays , after more than a decade of Marvel film , TV audience are used to the idea that each MCU flick can feel like it ’s part of a different genre . But back when they were initiate out , Marvel was n’t so sure this plan of attack would pay off on the large silver screen .

Related : The Best MCU Rewatch Order For Before Avengers : Endgame

The signs are all there in the firstThorfilm . The Gods of Asgard are reinterpreted as ancient extraterrestrial being , long - lived beings who had visit Earth in the past and become the clobber of myth and legends . Asgardian " magic " is explained away using Arthur C. Clarke ’s maxim that any sufficiently advanced science would expect like black art . " Your antecedent called it magic trick , " Thor explain to Jane Foster , " You call it science . I come from a place where they ’re one and the same thing . " Marvel was hedging their bets , avoiding kick the bucket too far with the mysticism and fancy , cautiously render to control it fitted with the science - fable world of the old moving-picture show .

In a dusty landscape Finn stares out into the distance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

According to Penn ,   these business concern even feign the hand forThe Avengers . Although Loki would still be the Avengers ' first scoundrel - as in the funnies -Penn actively adjudicate to denigrate Thor ’s role . " Originally I was trying to reduce how much Thor was in the picture , " he discover in one interview , admitting   that back then he really did n’t think a openhanded - screen version of Thor would exploit .

varlet 2 of 2 : Chris Hemsworth Saved Thor , But Loki Still Suffered

How Chris Hemsworth Saved Thor

And then   Chris Hemsworth was cast off as Thor , amaze his own brother , Liam Hemsworth , to the part   in a 2d round of auditions . Even after having gone to all this sweat , though , Hemsworth balk at the sheer scale of measurement   of Marvel ’s ambition .

" I was crossing the route in Vancouver … and I remember the exact bit begin a call from from my lawyer and my manager saying ' You grow the offer . ' And then kind of going ' Oh wow , cool . So what is it ? ' ' It ’s a superhero thing and it ’s a six - picture mass . ' And we were like ' that ’s a lot of film to signalize up for . We should go along on this . ' "

Related : Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie , Ranked Worst To good

A collage image of Luke Skywalker in A New Hope

Fortunately for Marvel , Hemsworth soften and accept the role . The minute he saw Hemsworth , Penn have it away he had nothing to worry about . " I think Chris Hemsworth take the air through the Marvel function , " he echo , " and being , ' Oh , my god , that guy   is   Thor …   Once it was clear that , no , this is going to make and they were excited about it , then I did not [ reduce Thor in the script ] . I halt doing that . " The Thunder God ’s hereafter was secured , and it was all because of the thespian who was barf in the role .

Joss Whedon Still Doubted Loki

Chris Hemsworth may have seal the sight for Thor , but Marvel still had their concerns about the Asgardian plot . When Joss Whedon took overThe Avengers , he   but was n’t convinced that Loki could be a credible scourge for the combined forces of the Avengers . " I … worried that one British type actor was not enough to take on Earth ’s mighty bomber , " he explained , " and that we ’d feel like we were rooting for the overdog . " As a result , Whedon toy with another version of the script in whichLoki teamed up with Ezekiel Stane , Obadiah Stane ’s son . Where Loki is a classic Avengers villain , Ezekiel Stane was only introduced in 2008 , when he schemed to get revenge on Tony Stark for his father ’s death . Presumably Whedon conduct a similar path , perhaps by take in Loki feeler Stane to obtain the applied science to manipulate the Tesseract . Whatever the case may be , Marvel ’s Kevin Feige nixed the idea , and the plot was tightened to focalise on Loki again .

Whedon realize that the end of Kenneth Branagh’sThorhad left Loki wide assailable as a character . The Trickster God had learn he was n’t a dependable Odinson , after all , and was now trying to carve out an empire for himself . What ’s more , Thorhad terminate with Loki plunge into a wormhole , and Whedon figured that experience would impact him as well . In the final playscript ,   Whedon ground a clever way of life to make Loki a convincing enemy : have him wangle the Avengers into turn on one another , before triggering a full - on foreign encroachment of New York . The Avengers , as we recognise it , had finally take form - with both Thor and Loki take shopping mall - point .

More : avenger : Endgame Recap : The Most crucial thing To Remember From Each Movie

Joss Whedon and Chris Hemsworth as Thor in The Avengers 2012

Chris Hemsworth as Thor looking down in The Avengers

Avengers 2012 Battle of New York

Thor Captain America Concept Art Avengers

Loki Smiles while imprisoned in the Avengers

Movies

Thor