A new alternate scene from Thor: Ragnarok offers us the first look at the original plan for Odin’s death. Picking up after the events of Thor: The Dark World, Loki has spent the last few years impersonating Odin in Asgard to fulfill his dreams of being king. This could only be accomplished by Loki wiping his father’s memory and leaving him on Earth. But, when Thor discovers Loki’s trick, he and his brother set off to Earth to find Odin.

When this happens in the final version of Thor: Ragnarok, Thor and Loki learn that the retirement home Loki left Odin at has been demolished. After some help by Doctor Strange, they learn that their father now lives peacefully in Norway with his memory restored. The two sons go to visit their father and bring him back to Asgard, but quickly learn that not all is well. He is moments away from dying and his life force is the only thing that is holding Hela back. Odin dies peacefully after sharing kind words with his boys, and his new life plants the seeds for New Asgard to take up shop nearby in Avengers: Endgame. But this wasn’t always the plan for this scene.

In a new deleted scene that comes in the Infinity Saga box set, Thor: Ragnarok’s original scene with Odin’s death has been revealed. The scene begins with Thor and Loki entering an alley that a homeless Odin is stumbling through. He immediately recognizes his sons and begins rambling about how Asgard is not a place before warning them about how Ragnarok and Hela is coming. Odin shows Thor the destruction that will come and transfers his power as king to him. Hela then emerges from where she has been trapped and Odin tells his sons to leave as he approaches her. Hela immediately questions why Odin worked to keep her past a secret, and he notes the “cold and brutal” way that she acts. She lets her father know that is still her way right before she kills him by stabbing him through the chest. The scene ends with Hela destroying Mjolnir and Loki calling for Heimdall to take him and Thor away.

This version of the scene is what many expected to see when Ragnarok arrived in theaters in 2017. Set photos from production already revealed “Hobo Odin” and the trailers featured parts of Hela and Thor’s confrontation in the alley setting. But, the scene was reshot and the changes noticed as the marketing campaign continued. After the release of Ragnarok, Waititi revealed why this change was made: test audiences who saw the film early felt “too sorry for [Odin].” That emotional response is understandable upon seeing the deleted scene in its entirety now.

But that response is arguably why this version of the scene may have been the better way to go. For all the fun that Thor: Ragnarok provides, one complaint that the movie has received is the lack of emotional weight felt by the death of Odin - not to mention the swift killings of the Warriors 3. This version of the scene would’ve established a bit more emotion early on in Thor: Ragnarok and could’ve continued on throughout the film. Additionally, it immediately establishes the ruthlessness of Hela. While she goes on to wipe out most of Asgard shortly after the reshot version of this scene, murdering her father in this way and then destroying Mjolnir would be a notable power play right from the start.

MORE: The Original Ragnarok: What Thor 3 Looked Like Before Waititi

  • Black Widow Release Date: 2021-07-09 The Eternals Release Date: 2021-11-05 Shang Chi Release Date: 2021-09-03 Doctor Strange 2 Release Date: 2022-05-06 Thor: Love and Thunder Release Date: 2022-07-08 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Release Date: 2022-11-11