The movie-making behemoth that is Marvel Studios continues to pump out one superhero blockbuster after another, and the latest of these cinematic spectacles is the God of Thunder’s third solo outing, Thor: Ragnarok. Directed by Taika Waititi, this film delivers hard-hitting action, breathtaking visuals, and side-splitting humor, but like most of the studio’s endeavors, it also leaves fans with a number of questions about the future of not only the Thor franchise but the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Much like you, we here at Epicstream are fans, too, so we’re far from immune to such curiosity once the credits begin to roll. That being said, here are 7 questions we have after watching Thor: Ragnarok:
Thor/Valkyrie: Will They/Won’t They?
The chemistry between Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman was virtually nonexistent, so the fact that Portman’s Jane Foster departed the franchise is hardly worth crying over (except for those of us who wanted to see the Jane Foster version of Thor on the big screen). In any case, the introduction of Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie left many of us wondering whether or not she would fill Portman’s shoes as a love interest for the God of Thunder. However, despite having great on-screen chemistry, Thor and Valkyrie’s relationship status remains that of warriors with a friendship forged by battle. That’s not to say this is a bad thing, though, because forced romance is what ultimately hurt Portman’s Jane Foster. Still, let’s not pretend there weren’t sparks when Thor and Valkyrie came face-to-face aboard the ship while they were fleeing Sakaar. Will their friendship become something more in Avengers: Infinity War?
Where Was Lady Sif?
Between Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, it’s really hard to say who got the shorter end of the stick. The Warriors Three were unceremoniously killed off by Hela, two of whom didn’t even have a single line of dialogue, while Jaime Alexander’s Sif was simply nowhere to be found. Her absence wasn’t even addressed through expository dialogue like ol’ “explain-away Jane” – she was just… inexplicably missing. Of course, the behind-the-scenes reason for this is that Alexander encountered scheduling conflicts due to her commitments to NBC’s Blindspot, but when Screen Rant asked Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige about her whereabouts in the film, all he could offer was the vague response, “that is a good question for another time.”
Will Thor Get A New Eye?
The climax of Thor: Ragnarok is home to some of the film’s best moments, but also one of the most shocking, which is when Hela gouges out one of the God of Thunder’s eyes. However, despite sporting an Odin-like eyepatch in the film’s closing moments, it seems hard to believe that Thor will remain a de facto Cyclops for the remainder of his tenure in the MCU. After all, with genius friends like Bruce Banner and Tony Stark, the probability of Thor scoring a realistic-looking cybernetic eye on the cheap is pretty high. Also, let’s not forget that in the leaked Avengers: Infinity War footage from D23 and Comic-Con International in San Diego, Thor had both eyes when he crashed into the windshield of the Milano. Then again, he also had both eyes in the Ragnarok trailers, so who’s to say that wasn’t simply more misdirection? Whatever the case may be, it’s unlikely that Marvel will want to cover up part of Chris Hemsworth’s handsome mug with an eyepatch in the next two Avengers films.
Will Asgard Be Rebuilt?
Much like the film’s title implies, Ragnarok comes to fruition when the massive demon Surtur lays waste to Asgard, turning the once great capital of the Nine Realms into chunks of debris floating aimlessly through space. However, as Odin tells his son, “Asgard’s not a place, it’s a people,” which prompts Thor to bring his people to Midgard (Norway, to be specific) to seemingly rebuild the physical city. Of course, given the events of the mid-credits scene (more on that soon), whether or not Thor actually makes it to Earth is anyone’s guess. Nevertheless, when you look at the comics, there’s certainly precedent for an earthbound version of Asgard. When J. Michael Straczynski revived the God of Thunder after a three-year absence, Thor rounded up the remaining Ragnarok survivors and together, they rebuilt Asgard above the rural town of Broxton, Oklahoma. Does this mean that we could see the city of Asgard floating high above Norway?
Is Hela REALLY Dead?
As Surtur is decimating Asgard, Cate Blanchett’s Hela tries to stop him but is seemingly crushed by the demon’s massive sword Twilight shortly before the entire realm implodes. Still, we never actually see a body, which – as is the trope in most fictional mediums – means she isn’t really dead. What’s more, Hela is the Goddess ofDeath. Who’s to say her “dying” has the same ramifications as a typical Asgardian? With her power, death could simply mean that she’s sent back to Hel, where she’ll await her next opportunity to emerge. In fact, this would allow Blanchett’s Hela to return in one of the upcoming Avengers films as a stand-in for the physical embodiment of death (the aptly named Death), who, in the comics, serves as Thanos’ love interest and the motivating factor behind his quest to obtain the Infinity Gems.
Did Loki Steal The Tesseract Again?
Oh Loki, you trickster, you. Don’t think we didn’t see you eyeing the Tesseract in Odin’s trophy room while you were on your way to throw Surtur’s crown into the Eternal Flame. Having possessed the powerful Infinity Stone once before (in Avengers), it seems only natural that the duplicitous God of Mischief would have pocketed the Tesseract for himself once again while he had the chance. After all, if he didn’t take it, how will it eventually end up in Thanos’ possession when he assembles the Infinity Gauntlet? Will the Mad Titan simply find it floating through space along with the fragments of Asgard? No, the far more likely scenario is that Loki snatched up the Tesseract, which – along with his failure in The Avengers – puts him in Thanos’ crosshairs. In fact, that plays directly into our final question…
What Are The Implications Of Thanos’ Ship Arriving?
In the mid-credits scene, Thor and Loki are standing aboard the refugee ship when Loki asks whether he’ll be welcome on Earth. Thor reassures his brother that he’ll be fine, but the camera then immediately cuts to an exponentially larger ship approaching them from behind. This ship, according to Kevin Feige, is the Sanctuary II, which is the vessel that belongs to none other than the Mad Titan Thanos. What exactly does this mean, though? Well, as mentioned in the previous entry, Thanos – who we know has been hunting down the Infinity Stones – could realize that Loki has one in his possession, which prompts him to intercept the refugee ship. Also, the aforementioned Avengers: Infinity War footage opens with the Guardians of the Galaxy encountering a bunch of debris in space before the God of Thunder face plants into their windshield. Does this mean Thanos destroys the refugee ship to get to Loki? Does Avengers: Infinity War begin just minutes after Thor: Ragnarok ends? Only time will tell.