Kate Bush narrowly missed out on being part of the MCU

Kate Bush could've been used in the MCU, according to Christian Bale.
Kate Bush could've been used in the MCU, according to Christian Bale. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Kate Bush's music almost became a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), according to a new interview with Thor: Love and Thunder star Christian Bale.

Recently, Kate's track "Running Up That Hill" has been repopularised, following its use in Stranger Things season 4, and her work could have been featured in another huge franchise, the MCU.

Speaking to Total Film, the actor, who plays Gorr the God Butcher, explained that director Taika Waititi planned a dance scene inspired by Bush’s music, but it was eventually axed. 

He explained; "Taika and I wanted to do a whole dance, which we didn’t get to do, but we had all this sort of Kate Bush stuff that we worked at. I think he just realized he was never going to be allowed to put that in the final film. 

"I would say that the most common thing I was staring at [while preparing for the role] was the Aphex Twin video of ‘Come to Daddy’. But I don’t even know if that will be in the final film."

Not much else is known about the proposed dance scene, but this would have been the first time Kate's much-loved music had been featured in the MCU if initial plans had gone ahead.

In fact, the song "Running Up That Hil"l has not been featured in many projects, and we put together a guide to every time the Kate Bush track has been used in film and TV, including the most recent Stranger Things scene.

Kate also released a rare public statement following the popularity of the scene, which saw Max using the song to escape Vecna, after her song ended up back in the charts due to people streaming it.

She said: "You might’ve heard that the first part of the fantastic, gripping new series of Stranger Things has recently been released on Netflix. It features the song, Running Up That Hill which is being given a whole new lease of life by the young fans who love the show — I love it too!

"Because of this, Running Up That Hill is charting around the world and has entered the UK chart at No. 8. It’s all really exciting! Thanks very much to everyone who has supported the song. I wait with bated breath for the rest of the series in July."

Thor: Love and Thunder arrives in cinemas on July 7, while Stranger Things is available on Netflix, and season 4, part 2 drops on July 1.

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.


She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress