THOR: Rarely Seen Concept Art And Costume Test Photos Show Off A Vastly Different God Of Thunder
Newly surfaced concept art from 2011's THOR shows off some very cool alternate designs for the God of Thunder's big screen debut while costume tests show off a nearly unrecognisable Chris Hemsworth...
Thor's hammer Mjolnir made its big screen debut before the God of Thunder himself and it's now been seven years since Chris Hemsworth first suited up as the Odinson. Since then, he's appeared in a number of movies and last year's Thor: Ragnarok finally established both the actor and character as an MVP of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as did the recently released epic, Avengers: Infinity War.
With that now in theaters, we're taking a look back at 2011's THOR and some of the alternate designs for how the God of Thunder could have looked in the movie which was directed by Kenneth Branagh.
There are some startlingly different designs in this rarely seen concept art but perhaps even more interesting are the behind the scenes photos of a much skinner Chris Hemsworth wearing very early versions of the costume he ended up with on screen. So, to check out the full list, all you need to do is click on the View List button below and then share your thoughts in the comments section.
A very different take on the God of Thunder, here we see Thor with more of a warhammer version of Mjolnir, tattoos down his arm, and a suit which is arguably a lot more Nordic than what we got.
I love this more alien take on Thor's armour and the blue here works perfectly. Fans of the character will no doubt be glad to see the hero wearing his helmet, something which actually crops up a lot here.
This is quite close to what we ended up getting on screen but there are some key changes, particularly with the boots and cape (minor changes but ones which ultimately make a big difference).
Thor looks a lot bulkier here and while you can see how this design inspired what Kenneth Branagh ended up choosing for Chris Hemsworth, I like the extra bits of blue and purple here.
A very, very early take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe's God of Thunder, the Nordic influences are pretty obvious and he actually looks a little more like a Viking which isn't a bad look for him.
There's a lot more silver here, something which works surprisingly well. While greys have always been a big part of his costume, this works surprisingly well and really pops off the page here.
I love how intricate the design choices are here, especially as it makes Thor's costume look a lot less basic. However, an argument could be made that it's a little too busy and a tad distracting.
Thor looks like he's stepped straight out of the comic books in this shot but it's actually pretty surprising how close Chris Hemsworth has come to this look as he now fully embodies the characters.
Another alien looking take on Thor's costume, here we once again get to see an increased amount of blue in the chest piece and it works really well (here's hoping Marvel one day returns to that).
This is a beautiful sketch and one which bears a striking resemblance to what ended up on screen. However, there are definitely some changes and it seems like this was a far more regal costume.
Thor only removed his cape once while in costume in the movie and here we get to see the thought which was put into giving the God of Thunder a more casual appearance despite being suited up.
Fans aren't happy that Thor has never really worn his helmet in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the reason for why that is (beyond it being uncomfortable) hasn't actually been revealed.
A couple more takes on the God of Thunder, these pieces clearly played a big role in what we ended up getting in the movie and throwing in the lightning helps bring the character to life.
It's ironic that so much work was put into designing the perfect helmet for Thor because he wore it in all of one scene and it's pretty much not been seen since aside from once in Thor: Ragnarok last year.
These costume tests show just how much not only Thor's look evolved as time went on but the sheer amount of muscle Chris Hemsworth put on in order to truly become the God of Thunder.