Turns out, a certain key character in the Marvel mythos almost made an appearance in Thor: Ragnarok, but ended on the cutting room floor.
Minor spoilers for Thor: Ragnarok follow. You have been warned.
One of the best parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are the Easter eggs that Marvel always leaves for fans to find. Sometimes they are fairly minor, such as a callback to an earlier film in the MCU. Other times they can be pretty big, such as when Stephen Strange was name dropped in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Thor: Ragnarok, the latest entry in the MCU, is no exception. Director Taika Waititi littered the film with Easter eggs that fans have been finding since the film opened on Friday. But one of the biggest, at least for fans of Walter Simonson’s legendary run as writer and artist on The Mighty Thor, could have been a bit larger.
During the film, you see a statue that bears a fairly striking resemblance to Beta Ray Bill, the alien who ends up wielding the power of the Thunder God for a time. The character made his debut in back in The Mighty Thor #337 in Simonson’s very first issue and in the years since has become quite a fan favorite.
Crave Online recently spoke to the keeper of all things Marvel Kevin Feige about the statue and if, in fact, Beta Ray Bill had a cameo in the movie.
Turns out he did, but it ended up on the cutting room floor.
“There was a Beta Ray Bill, but it was so quick that you would have the same complaints that you have now. He was in it a little bit more and it just didn’t do justice. And the feeling is, if you can’t do it justice, do it later.”
Now yes, knowing the Beta Ray Bill came this close to finally making his MCU debut and ended up being cut is sure to disappoint many fans. But from the wording of Feige’s response, it sure seems to me that there are plans for Bill down the road at some point.
Could that be the plot for Thor 4, if indeed we get one? Yes, Beta Ray Bill would have to be created via a computer, but given how advanced the technology has come, that shouldn’t be an issue. Just look at how good the Hulk looks in Thor: Ragnarok.
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Of course, these are all questions that will have to wait until Marvel finishes Phase Three with the release of Avengers 4 and announces what they have planned for Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
For now, Beta Ray Bill fans will have to comfort themselves with what could have been and reread those classic Simonson issues for the umpteenth time.
Thor: Ragnarok is in theaters now.
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