The fan-favorite character has been an enduring part of Thor’s comic book legacy, and yet the Marvel Cinematic Universe has no trace of him.

Beta Ray Bill has been one of the most enduring characters in Thor comics, and yet he hasn’t made his MCU debut. The four Thor movies so far have delved deep into the God of Thunder’s lore, focusing on fellow Asgardians like Loki and the death goddess Hela, along with extraterrestrial aliens like Gorr The God Butcher and the friendly Korran Korg. Even Thor’s magical hammers like Mjolnir and Stormbreaker are characters with their own personality. And yet, despite much fan speculation, the horse-faced alien known as Beta Ray Bill has remained absent from the MCU timeline.

Introduced during the Bronze Age of Comics, Beta Ray Bill was an alien who turned out to be the first non-Asgardian to be worthy of lifting Mjolnir. While he initially clashed against the thunder god, he later became one of his best allies. Over time, Beta Ray Bill emerged as a fan-favorite character with his impressive strength, unconventional backstory, and roguish attitude. Sadly, he still remains one of the MCU Thor movies’ most underused characters. Despite a tease and a rumored casting, the character continues to be just an Easter Egg until the Thor sequels hopefully change his fate.

Will Beta Ray Bill Be In Thor 5?

His Origin Needs To Be Changed If He Indeed Joins The MCU

The MCU can satisfy fans by introducing Beta Ray Bill in the fifth Thor movie. However, the problem is that Bill’s comic book origins might too closely mimic the Jane Foster arc from Thor: Love and Thunder. In the fourth Thor movie, Chris Hemsworth’s protagonist was surprised to find that his ex-girlfriend Jane could wield Mjolnir and channel similar powers to him. Beta Ray Bill similarly shocked Thor in the comics when he could wield the hammer despite being an alien of the Korbnite race. Bill later went on to don the same costume as Thor and exhibited identical powers.

Beta Ray Bill’s MCU debut may thus need tweaking so it doesn’t feel similar to Jane Foster’s evolution as Mighty Thor. The Thor: Love and Thunder post-credits scenes also make it difficult to speculate Beta Ray Bill’s future in the next Thor movie. After teasing Thor’s future adventures with adoptive daughter Love, the mid-credits scene teased the appearance of Hercules, the Olympian son of the Greek thunder god Zeus. As Hercules vows to seek revenge from Thor for stealing his father’s thunderbolt, the next Thor movie may focus on their clash instead, leaving Beta Ray Bill’s fate yet again uncertain.

The MCU Has Already Teased Beta Ray Bill’s Existence

Thor: Ragnarok Featured A Blink-And-Miss Appearance

Beta Ray Bill has traversed different parts of the cosmos and was once even a champion of the gladiator contests on the planet of Sakaar. So far, Beta Ray Bill’s only mention in the MCU includes a statue of his head appearing alongside the Grandmaster’s other champions on Sakaar. In an interview with Mandatory (formerly CraveOnline), Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Fiege confirmed that Beta Ray Bill was featured briefly in an early version of Thor: Ragnarok, but had to be removed later. Fiege added that the fan-favorite Thor character’s appearance “was so quick” and “it just didn’t do it justice”.

In the comics, Beta Ray Bill eventually gave up Mjolnir after being granted the war hammer Stormbreaker. Thor’s new hammer in the MCU is also called Stormbreaker.

While reduced to one of Thor: Ragnarok’s Easter eggs, there were hopes of Beta Ray Bill appearing in Thor: Love and Thunder with Christian Bale rumored to play him. But, as it turned out, Bale was brought in to play the antagonist Gorr instead. While he awaits his MCU debut, the Thor ally has already made single-episode experiences in previous Marvel animated series like Silver Surfer, The Superhero Squad Show, and Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Much like Thor: Ragnarok’s Sakaar arc, Beta Ray Bill also appeared as one of the gladiators alongside Hulk in the direct-to-video animated film Planet Hulk.