The divine origins of the MCU’s biggest stars.
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Norse gods have been part of Marvel comics since the 1960s, and they joined the MCU with 2011’s Thor. Now, the gods of Asgard are as ingrained in Marvel movies as any hero, but they look very different from the pantheon they’re based on.
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After Thor played up the fish-out-of-water comedy of a god living among mortals, later movies depicted the MCU’s divine himbo as a goofy, loveable charmer.
In both the MCU and Norse stories, Thor wields the mighty hammer Mjölnir. The mythological Mjölnir is used to both fight and confer blessings, but Marvel spiced things up by letting Thor fly with it.
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Unlike in the MCU, the mythological Mjölnir doesn’t decide who can wield it, nor does it grant any special power to whoever is able to lift it.
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Sif has mostly been ignored by the MCU since her appearance in Thor: The Dark World, but she returns in Love and Thunder. She’s a fierce warrior who shares Thor’s battle prowess, but not his puppy-dog personality.
The goddess Sif is Thor’s wife, associated with marriage and the harvest. After Loki secretly cut Sif’s golden hair, Thor forced him to have a replacement crafted along with several other artifacts, including Mjölnir and Odin’s spear.
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The MCU’s Odin shares many abilities with Thor, like his supernatural strength, stamina, and lifespan. He’s the father of Hela, Thor, and Loki, the latter through adoption.
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Whether in Marvel movies or Norse mythology, Odin is the ruler of Asgard and father of Thor. While he dies peacefully in the MCU, the mythological Odin survives until Ragnarök, where he’s slain by the great wolf Fenrir.
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The queen of Asgard is step-mother to Thor and adoptive mother to Loki in the MCU. She doesn’t have a lot to do in the movies, but she’s known to have a supernatural awareness of reality.
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The villainous Hela is obsessed with conquest in the MCU, for which she’s locked away in the underworld of Hel by Odin. Her combat prowess and ability to kill with a touch are Marvel inventions.
Louis Huard
Loki is a cunning trickster god who’s half giant in both Norse myth and the MCU. In myth, he’s he’s tortured by having snake venom dripped into his eyes after tricking Thor into killing his brother, Baldr.
The MCU makes Loki Thor’s adoptive brother, instead of Odin’s blood brother, as in his original incarnation. Similarly, the mythological Loki is Hela’s father, not her brother.
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Loki is genderfluid in the MCU, which has some echoes in myth. As a shapeshifter, he takes on different forms of various genders, and has even given birth. To Odin’s horse. It’s complicated.
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Like other Asgardians, Heimdall possesses extreme strength. Even among the gods, he has extraordinary senses, which he used to guard the Bifrost Bridge before his death fighting Thanos.
Just like his MCU incarnation, the god Heimdall has incredible sight and hearing, and guards the Bifrost bridge. He and Loki are prophesized to kill each other during Ragnarök.
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The MCU’s Valkyrie is a great warrior who took part in the battle against Thanos. An ally of Thor, she became the king of New Asgard. She’s also the first queer character to come out in the MCU.
Norse Valkyries aren’t gods; they’re spiritual figures who guide the souls of those killed in battle. As reward for their heroism, these souls are taken to afterlives ruled over by Odin and Freyja.