‘Thor: Ragnarok’: Alternate Take on Surtur Revealed

In a film full of incredible special effects, the demonic Surtur was able to stand out as one of the better special effects in Thor: Ragnarok. The unique take on the hellish beast was intimidating, but it was accessible enough for audiences to still be able to laugh at his misfortune.

The final take on Surtur definitely did the trick, but the evil creature almost looked entirely different. Jackson Sze, senior illustrator for Marvel, took to Instagram to post some of his original concept art for the characters in the film. In addition to his first takes on Thor, Valkyrie and Hela, Sze shared the initial idea for Surtur’s design.

As you can see in the image below, this is far from the Surtur that appeared in the final cut of the film.

Sze’s early attempt at the character was a bit more metal in his style. Between the jagged armor and hammerhead-like helmet, the characters looks like a cross between The Destroyer from the first Thor, and Steppenwolf from Justice League.

“I thought I could bring the fire demon aesthetic closer to Thor’s world by designing him with twisted and forged metal works reminiscent of fantasy armors,” Sze wrote in the post.

While this take on Surtur would’ve been really exciting to see on film, the final version seemed to be the right feel for the comedic tone of Ragnarok.