It is no secret that Thor: Ragnarok has arguably become one of the most visually-arresting Marvel Cinematic Universe films yet. The movie is full of great shots, effects, and costumes -- particularly in regards to Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie. However, the character evolved quite a bit over the course of the film's development, and it seems that she almost got to wield some genuinely badass mace gloves before Tessa Thompson stepped into the role. Check out some newly-revealed concepts by artist Andy Park below.
So, it is pretty clear that this looks almost nothing like Tessa Thompson, and that's because these ideas were presented very early on in Thor: Ragnarok's existence. During this early stage, director Taika Waititi considered giving the badass Asgardian heroine gloves that would double as maces, which (as far as coolness is concerned) would've easily rivaled the power of Mjolnir in the hands of Thor (Chris Hemsworth).
Of course, as is usually the case in a situation like this, an actress was brought onboard and the nature of the character changed to reflect that casting. As a result, Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie eventually found herself equipped with a sword and an outfit that skewed a bit more science-fiction than Andy Park's initial designs -- which seemed to have a bit more in common with the worlds of Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings than anything seen on Sakaar during the events of Thor: Ragnarok.
If nothing else, this shows us how much the vision for a superhero movie can change over the course of its development. In that regard, the Thor portion of the MCU is particularly notable. In fact, Andy Park spoke to CinemaBlend earlier this year about the challenges of creating designs for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and mentioned that designing The Dark Elves seen in Thor: The Dark World was one of the most significant challenges that he has faced so far as an artist for Marvel Studios. Thor's world is one of the most outlandish in the entire MCU, so it is clear that things can change quite a bit from the beginning of a project to the very end.
Thor: Ragnarok is still in theaters, so make sure to check it out if you have not already! Beyond that, the Asgardian corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will return to the forefront of the Marvel franchise when Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters next year on May 4, 2018. Check out our handy Infinity War guide to get yourself up-to-date on everything that you need to know about the upcoming Avengers adventure.
