This Religious Figure Almost Had A Surprising Cameo In Thor: Love And Thunder
Five years after the success of Taika Waititi's first Marvel Cinematic Universe project, "Thor: Ragnarok," the writer and director delivered its follow-up, "Thor: Love and Thunder." The movie landed in theaters in early July 2022, and although it divided critics, it performed well by post-pandemic standards, grossing over $755 million at the global box office.
One of the highlights of "Thor: Love and Thunder" is a meeting of various gods in Omnipotence City, led by Russell Crowe as Zeus, that Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Jane (Natalie Portman), Korg (Taika Waititi), and King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) attend in an effort to rally forces willing to take on Gorr, The God Butcher (Christian Bale). The meeting quickly goes sideways, as Zeus zaps Thor's clothes away and then gets his lighting bolt stolen in the ensuing fight.
Throughout the scene, we get cameos of various gods, including deep mythological cuts and Easter eggs such as the Roman goddess Minerva, the Greek goddess Artemis, and the Egyptian god Bast, who the people of Wakanda also worship. But there's one surprisingly well-known deity who Waititi wanted to show, but who didn't make it into the film, which is probably for the best.
Jesus Christ didn't make it to the final cut of Love and Thunder
Perhaps wisely, Taika Waititi didn't get to do everything he wanted with "Thor: Love and Thunder," as the writer and director revealed on BBC Radio 1 that the Christian deity Jesus Christ was originally supposed to be present at the Council of the Gods led by Zeus. When Thor, Jane, Korg, and King Valkyrie arrive in the opulent, golden chambers, they point out various gods in attendance. There's a god of dreams, a god of dumplings, and King Valkyrie points out a "god of carpentry" whom we never get a look at. According to Waititi, that's when Jesus was supposed to make a cameo.
"Valkyrie does mention the god of carpentry," the "Jojo Rabbit" director said. "That was supposed to be a cutaway to you-know-who. Ol' Big J." The inclusion of such a widely worshipped religious figure would have been on-brand for Waititi, whose comedic sensibility has proven itself nothing if not irreverent. His career has produced spoofs of vampires ("What We Do in the Shadows"), pirates ("Our Flag Means Death"), and even Adolf Hitler ("Jojo Rabbit"). With that said, it's probably for the best that Jesus wasn't given a cameo in "Thor: Love and Thunder," as it might have pushed the line a bit too far for some.
Interestingly, Jesus Christ does appear as a character in Marvel comics, with aspects of his biblical origins retooled to fit within the superhero universe. For instance, the gift-bearing Magi are aliens, and Christ himself is at one point implied to be a Mutant. However, it's unlikely we'll see him in the MCU at any point. Although Marvel Studios is exploring the more esoteric realms of the Marvel canon with films like "Eternals," those stories have wisely shied away from depicting the deities of currently popular religions.