Detailed 'Avengers 4' Fan Theory Ties Hela's Return to Loki's Trimphant Resurrection

While Marvel fans are expecting many of the deaths in Avengers: Infinity War to be reversed in the upcoming Avengers 4, most seem pretty convinced at this point that Loki, who was killed by Thanos in the opening scene of the film, won't be coming back. Outside of Heimdall, Loki's death was honestly the one that felt the most permanent.

According to one fan theory however, this isn't the case. With an overwhelming amount of evidence, a single Reddit user has given die-hard Loki fans a glimmer of hope, suggesting that the God of Mischief isn't actually gone for good.

The theory, posted by user IanMoone13 (who we will simply refer to as "Moone" from here on out), suggests that Hela is going to be behind the resurrection of Loki. It was alluded to that she "died" at the end of Thor: Ragnarok, but things may not be that simple. After all, she is the Goddess of Death. It wouldn't make much sense for her to just die like any other Asgardian, right?

That idea alone is simply speculation, and doesn't bear much weight unless combined with other evidence. Fortunately, Moone dug around and found plenty, mainly alluding to the return of Hela actress Cate Blanchett, and a key location from Thor's story.

Think back to an interview late last year where Mark Ruffalo, king of all things spoiler, was fresh off the back-to-back filming of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4. When asked about performers he's really enjoyed acting alongside, Ruffalo mentioned that he had recently done work with both Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett. Since neither actress has any recent work with Ruffalo, it's easy to assume that they could be making some sort of appearance in Avengers 4, even if it is just in a flashback.

Here's where things get really interesting. Moone brings up some set photos from Avengers 4, which reveal two important details. One is the location in which the photos are taken. Actors and crew were spotted at the Durham Cathedral, the same location where Thor and Selvig go to the pool in Age of Ultron, and Thor sees visions of Ragnarok. Also seen in the photos is a statue of a Norse god, the same one that was seen in the grand hall in Thor's visions. To take things a little further, a dummy of Rocket Raccoon was also spotted nearby.

(You can check out all of these set photos in links provided by Moone's Reddit post here.)

The theory states that Thor and his cohorts (including Rocket and Valkyrie) travel to the church to gain access to the pool once more. In doing so, Thor will find a way to travel to Hel where it is speculated that Hela will reside. Rather than actually dying a normal, more human death, Moone suggests that Hela was returned to Hel on a more permanent basis. Between the use of time travel (which has been hinted at on more than one occasion) and Hela's powers as the Goddess of Death, the theory concludes that Thor will use his sister in order to bring his brother back from the dead.

Of course, this isn't the only theory regarding Loki's resurrection in Avengers 4. The most plausible idea, outside of this one, is that he used his powers to make someone else look like him, in case of danger. If this is the case, Thanos simply killed a decoy, and Loki is still alive and free.

Do you think Loki could come back to life in Avengers 4? Is there enough evidence to support this theory? Let us know in the comments!

Avengers: Infinity War is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. Avengers 4 is set to hit theaters on May 3, 2019.