Kevin Feige Prevented Thor Director from Calling Mjolnir an Anime Name Instead

In the earlier days of the MCU, there were one too many decisions to be made about the cinematic universe’s future. What comic book events and stories to adapt? Which details to keep, change, or cut altogether? What characters to bring to the big screens — and what to leave for the future? Which names to change?..

Wait, what? Since when was the MCU changing Marvel comics’ names, we hear you ask? Well, they didn’t exactly follow with all their spectacular ideas, but they were in the air from time to time. Some of them were downright outrageous, too.

When the first Thor movie was in its early stages, director Kenneth Branagh decidedly didn’t like the name of the Thunder God’s weapon, Mjölnir. He thought it was too hard to pronounce and wanted to change it…and the idea he had was terrible. Thankfully, the big Marvel boss Kevin Feige was there to stop his colleague.

“[Kenneth] turned to all of us and asked, ‘Do we have to call the hammer Mjölnir? I see that it’s made out of some metal called Uru. Could we call it Uru instead? Or would the fanboys string me up?’ Kevin just gave his little half-smile, ‘Ken, the fanboys would string you up.’ ‘Alright. We won’t be doing that, then,’” screenwriter Zack Stentz shared with Vanity Fair.

Picture this: the mighty Chris Hemsworth, God of Thunder, proudly stands surrounded by lightning flashes and thunderous roars; he raises his hand, and the legendary hammer of Thor materializes in his grasp…and it’s called Uru. Suddenly, the situation becomes increasingly kawaii the more you think about it.

Thank Thunder God Kevin Feige was there to intervene because the backlash would’ve been insane were Kenneth Branagh to go through with his Uru idea. It would’ve been such an insult to both Marvel and Scandic mythologies…but it didn’t happen. And we have Kevin Feige to thank for not having Ara-Ara the Hammer of Gods in the MCU.

Source: Vanity Fair