SALT LAKE CITY — Loki isn’t Thor’s only brother. You can add Balder, the virtually invincible Norse god of light, to the family tree.
But you may not have heard of Balder because the warrior was cut from “Thor: The Dark World.”
IGN reports that concept artist Charlie Wen posted a piece of concept art from the second “Thor” movie on Instagram, showing his design for Balder the Brave. The artwork depicts the god wearing crimson clothing, armor and a white fur cape while holding two swords while Thor throws down with enemies in the background.
Last year, Wen claimed Balder served a “crucial” role in the sequel before being cut from the movie’s script, according to CBR. The outlet also notes that Balder is one of Thor’s best friends in the comics and triggered Ragnarok with his death. Instead, it seems Hela had no problem trashing Asgard herself in “Thor: Ragnarok.”
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, most Norse tales involve Balder’s death. In most cases, Loki usually ends up plotting Balder’s demise with a mistletoe spear, which is the only thing that could hurt the god.
It’s possible Balder could have suffered a similar fate in “The Dark World,” but instead we got to see Loki make the ultimate sacrifice for Thor — until it was revealed he faked his death for personal gain.
It’s possible Balder could show up in a future Marvel project, but there’s no word on the matter currently. Instead, Marvel’s next announced film is “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” which arrives in theaters on July 2.