5 Ways Marvel Got Thor Wrong

Avengers: Infinity War just came out, and we here at AleHorn are just certain you’re ready and waiting for our hot take. It’s pretty obvious that Marvel Thor and Norse Thor aren’t the same person, but what exactly are their differences? Curious to know? Read on. We picked our favorite discrepancies for fans of both lore and comic books.

He isn’t Loki’s brother

This one goes without saying, but Norse Thor isn’t Loki’s brother. He’s still not super into him, though (sorry shippers!). Loki still pisses Thor off at every turn he can get– and for that matter, Loki’s not really actively a villain. He’s just a guy who likes to stir shit. And mythological Loki is more closely a brother to Odin, although he has giant bio parents.

He hooks up with Sif, not Natalie Portman

MCU’s Sif (Jaimie Alexander)

Sif IS a character in the Marvel films, yes. And she’s in the comics, too. But mythological Thor isn’t super into human ladies. In fact, he actually marries this goddess of the harvest. While both Marvel iterations transform Sif into a marvelous murder queen, mythological Sif isn’t really interested in fighting. When Loki, that troublemaker, steals her hair, she sics her husband on him. This creates a pretty silly escapade where Thor dresses up as his wife and complains about how girly he looks (we feel like Marvel Thor might actually get a kick out of this, to be honest).

He can’t fly

In the illustrious Marvel universe, throwing Mjolnir is Thor’s #1 transit preference. He hucks that hammer in the direction he pleases and then takes it for a ride. But in the Norse mythos? Not quite. Thor can’t really fly in any capacity, whether by Mjolnir or by sprouting wings and turning into an eagle, like Odin.

He’s not so worthy

Maybe we should have named this article, “The Differences Between Marvel Mjolnir and Norse Mjolnir.” In Marvel’s tales, Mjolnir belongs to the worthy. The not-worthy can’t even lift that bad boy. The hammer becomes something of a moral judge, therefore, with only certain people able to carry it– and sometimes, that doesn’t include ya boy, Thor. On the other hand, Norse Thor gets Mjolnir because he’s strong. That’s it. He’s the strongest kid on the block and Mjolnir is heavy as fuck.

The stubble doesn’t cut it

Chris Hemsworth has a delightful chin, but it’s no Thor beard. In the Norse culture, beards were a sign of virility and masculinity– with the bigger and bushier, the better. Which means that artfully neglected scruff really isn’t cutting it. And the hair on his head was probably equally long and bushy. In fact, in many myths, he’s even referred to as having a red beard, not a blonde one. So count that as a win, my fellow redheads– the God of Thunder is on our side!