(Warning: spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame!)
One of the more interesting battles that takes place in Avengers: Endgame features alternate versions of the same hero. But that’s not who the writers initially had in mind with the first draft of its script. During a recent stop on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo explained how a different hero could’ve fought against himself – Thor.
“We did have a sequence where they (the two Thors) finally confront each other in Asgard,” explained Joe Russo. “I can’t remember exactly why we moved off it.”
In the blockbuster film, an overweight Thor teams up with Rocket Raccoon to retrieve an Infinity Stone. He’s asked to distract his ex Jane Foster while his ally gets it from her – but things don’t go according to plan.
“I think it got overly complicated and we liked Cap vs. Cap better,” Anthony Russo added. He’s referring to the scene where a younger Captain America battles his older self over Loki’s scepter.
Pacing plays an important part in a film like Endgame, according to the directors.
Joe Russo explained, “Once you start developing it, you can see how crowded it gets. We wanted to make sure we had story space to create real conflict for the Avengers that were going back (in time).”
Related: Joe Russo Discusses Bruce Banner’s Fate In Avengers: Endgame
“I think there we also deferred to the storyline of Thor and his mother, which was more resonate,” Anthony Russo added. “That was more part of Thor’s journey and repair than confronting his former self.” If you think about it, it provides a sense of closure. Not to mention it gives him the confidence he needs in the final battle with 2014’s Thanos.
Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Do you think Thor should’ve faced off against himself in the film? Let us know in the comments below!
