A Cut Marvel Phase 2 Scene Featured A Hero Who Still Hasn't Made Their MCU Debut

When the Marvel Cinematic Universe was just booting up, it was a delicate time. The first two films in the franchise, Jon Favreau's "Iron Man" and Louis Leterrier's "The Incredible Hulk" (both from 2008), were distributed by Paramount and Universal, respectively. Disney didn't purchase Marvel until 2009, at which point a firm plan for an interconnected MCU came into place.

Following Favreau's 2010 sequel "Iron Man 2," the first real test of the MCU's viability came with Kenneth Branagh's 2011 film "Thor," a weird, weird movie set on a distant planet that just happens to look like the Norse afterlife of Asgard. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is similarly a powerful, magical alien who just happens to look and behave like the Norse god of thunder. There's actually a clear explanation as to why these extraterrestrials behave like Norse deities, but it's a strange concept dating back to Marvel's comics from the 1960s.

Thor's adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the god of mischief, is a force of chaos in "Thor," having long coveted the throne occupied by his and Thor's father: the mighty Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Ultimately, Branagh's movie was a big hit, so the MCU moved forward as planned, with Alan Taylor directing the 2013 follow-up "Thor: The Dark World." Thor and Loki's complicated relationship is a major focus of the film, and it might be the reason why so many people connect to an odd character like Thor.

However, those familial bonds were almost even more complex. Charlie Wen, the former head of Marvel's Visual Development department, once took to Instagram to reveal his designs for Balder the Brave, Thor's other brother, for "The Dark World" prior to the character being cut. Curiously, even now, Balder has yet to make his MCU debut.

The Marvel version of Thor first appeared in the 1962 comic "Journey into Mystery" #83, already swinging his mighty hammer. The Thor comics borrowed a lot of Norse mythology, keeping a lot of the names and relationships between the deities intact while repurposing most of the characters for simpler superhero stories. Most importantly, this provided Marvel big cheeses Stan Lee and Jack Kirby with access to whatever Norse figures they wanted. 

As such, two issues later, Lee and Kirby introduced Balder the Brave, Thor's half-brother, into the mix. Balder has never been more than a supporting player in the "Thor" comics, and most of his stories tend to involve characters from Asgard or other deities in the Marvel Comics universe. At the same time, Balder does interact with Marvel characters like Captain America on rare occasions and even got his own four-issue miniseries in 1986.

Balder is based on Baldr, the Norse god of light and tragedy. According to ancient myths, Baldr lived up to his name and was killed indirectly by his hateful brother Loki. It was his death that triggered Ragnarök and the downfall of the gods. 

Charlie Wen, in addition to posting a design on his Instagram, also posted one on his LinkedIn, which gives a clearer view of Balder's face. As one can see by the artist's signature, these were intended for "Thor: The Dark World." Balder doesn't appear in the movie, though, and again, there's no word yet on if he will ever show up in the MCU. Balder certainly would have made the relationship between Thor and Loki even trickier in that film, being younger than Thor but older than Loki.

Of course, Marvel has lots and lots of characters, and it may only be a matter of time before we see them all on screen in some manner. Indeed, even though Balder didn't turn up in "Thor: The Dark World," he previously appeared in the well-received Marvel animated series "M.O.D.O.K.," which isn't technically part of the extant MCU itself.

"M.O.D.O.K." is a comedy show that envisions one of Marvel's most ridiculous characters — M.O.D.O.K, a giant, villainous head with tiny limbs — as a beleaguered sitcom dad. Co-created by and starring Patton Oswalt, the series pictures what would happen to a weird evil character like M.O.D.O.K. if he was fired from his company when he was middle-aged, ran out of money, and had to struggle to regain the respect of his family. Oswalt was keen to include some fun Marvel Comics cameos on the show, and in the sixth episode, titled "Tales from the Great Bar Mitzvah War!," Balder makes a guest appearance. He's played by veteran voice actor Trevor Devall, who has also lent his vocals to "Spidey and His Amazing Friends," a few LEGO Marvel projects, and even "Inanimate Insanity," one of the rising Object Shows so beloved by Gen-Alpha. Devall's career is vast and deep.

As for the MCU, the franchise doesn't possess the same cultural clout that it did about seven or eight years ago, so its future is somewhat unknown for the time being. Hence, it remains to be seen if an obscure figure like Balder the Brave will ever be incorporated into its continuity. Only time will tell.