Thorsday
- McKayla Walker
- Sep 8, 2016
- 5 min read
When most people think of "Thor" they think of Chris Hemsworth's character for The Avengers and his two solo movies. Before Marvel smashed the box office, he was the super-metal god of thunder from Norse mythology. Thor has been such a huge aspect of culture, in ways you might not have otherwise been aware of, so here are eight fun facts about our favorite Avenger.
1. He's the reason for Thursday
You're welcome Thursday, Thor made you the best day of the week. Thursday, translated, literally means "Thor's Day." Many of the norse god's have a day of the week: Tyr on Tuesday, Odin on Wednesday, and the goddess Frigg getting Friday. Go team god.
Thor had a lot of actors audition before the character was ultimately won by Chris Hotsworth. Daniel Craig was the initial choice, meaning we could have had Thor 007, which would have rocked. Channing Tatum, Tom Hiddleston (shocking, I know), and even Liam Hemsworth all fought for the caped hammer-weilding character, but alas, we have our lovely Chris.
Extra fun fact, Jim Carrey could have been Loki. That would have been s-s-s-s-s-smokin'.
3. Ragnarok: A Quick What's Up
Thor: Ragnarok has been pretty mysterious as with what's going on. Here is what we do know:
1. Natalie Portman isn't going to be in it ... again. But, just because she isn't going to be in the film, that doesn't mean Lady Sif will be replacing her as the apple of Thor's eye.
2. Most of it is going to take place on not-earth.
3. Even though the name "ragnarok" means "the end of all things", don't try to look too much into it. This is Phase 3 of the MCU, the SEVENTEENTH scheduled film for it as well. So we have time for everyone to get killed off. Maybe be a little more worried when it comes to the Infinity Wars...
4. There is a possible cameo of Doctor Strange in the film .
That's all we know, besides the release date, more than A YEAR away- November 3, 2017.
You can watch the trailer here. Seriously SOOOOO worth your time to watch. Filming wrapped up October 27, 2016.
Marvel Comics debuted the character of Thor in 1962 in Journey into Mystery #83. Stan Lee has stated that since most people are fairly familiar with Roman and Greek gods, he chose Norse god's to take comics into a different direction. He modernized the character, obviously, by giving him new physical characteristics than paintings of the god have shown, a hilarious personality, and superhuman (or god-like) powers.
Since 1962 we have received: The Mighty Thor; The Avengers, which Thor is a founding member of; and Thor, the retitled Journey into Mystery, since those comics became all about him anyway.
5. Thor's rise in popularity
Since the debut of Thor in 2011, Thor has grown in popularity through the familiarity of this character. In 2013, Disney's brands, including Marvel, generated $40.9 billion in merchandise. Yeah, billion.
Marvel's toy sales in the United States grew nearly 13% in 2014, with the Avengers generating more than ANOTHER billion dollars globally through retail. Thor has helped this brand grow, and Disney's purchasing of Marvel Studios has been extremely lucrative and beneficial for both brands.
Thor makes money. In 2011, Thor domestically grossed $181,030,624, internationally grossing $268,295,994, giving a worldwide total of $449,326,618. Thor: The Dark World grossed $206,362,140 domestically and $438,240,376 internationally, giving a worldwide gross of $644,602,516. Between the two solo films, Thor has grossed $1,093,929,134. This is without the Avengers.
Yeah, Thor. Makes. MONEY.
6. Lady Sif and the Three Stooges
Lady Sif and the Warrior's Three (Thor's best buds, in case that wasn't ringing a bell initially. Think Gimli from Lord of the Rings, plus Shang from Mulan, Robin Hood from Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and America's Next Top Model. Now you know who I'm talking about.) have a different role in the movies than they have in Thor's Norse mythological backstory.
First thing's first, the Warrior's Three don't exist in norse mythology. These guys joined up with Thor in the 1960's and although they are gods in the comics, there isn't mention of them at all in Norse mythology.
Second, the stunning Lady Sif, played by Jaimie Alexander, is actually Thor's wife in the comics and in Norse mythology. The films have taken it a different route, making her relationship with Thor much more platonic. We will see what happens if Jane Foster keeps peacing out on the films though...
7. Ginger Thor?
There has been quite a debate on whether Thoréal should have been blonde or red-haired. Many Norse scholars have stated that Thor was red-haired and much more brutal than Marvel's Thor, though there is actually been no mention of Thor's beard color being red in original poems. It is these poems, funnily enough, that scholars use to state that his coloring is red. He isn't described as having red hair initially, and it isn't until later saga's in the 1200's that he is finally given a definitive hair color. According to Dr. Karl E. H. Seigfried's article Blond Thor: Stan Lee Wasn't Wrong, Stan Lee creating a blonde Thor is just a different interpretation of original source material.
Did Stan Lee have it right or wrong by reading "fair-haired" as blonde? I think it was just a different and fun interpretation that further takes Marvel's Thor into a different place than the Norse Thor could have been able to go.
8. Mjolnir the Magnificent
Thor's hammer Mjolnir is one of the most distinctive parts of his character. The first movie kind of goes like this: give a beautiful god a hammer, take that hammer from him when he throws a temper tantrum, put that hammer in arms reach but don't let him grab it, Sword in the Stone style, then let him take this all-powerful hammer once he learns his lesson so he can go on being his purely fantastic self.
There is nothing this hammer cannot do- it let's him fly, he call's down thunder and lightning and crazy storms with it, and it show's the worthiness of a person if they can wield it. If we go off the movies, both Captain America and Vision have been able to either move or weild this hammer, showing the moral and ethical readiness and leadership abilities they each possess.
Extra fun fact: during aa crossover with DC Comics, even Superman (my favorite DC superhero) was able to wield Mjolnir. Suck on that, Batman.
And a fun little bonus fact to finish up with- my boyfriend looks just like him. Look at that stunner.
Happy Thor's Day friends!
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