Thor: Ragnarok: 5 Things We Want to see

Jamie Lovett

08/23/2016 05:42 pm EDT

(Photo: Marvel Entertainment)

In some ways, Thor: Ragnarok has a lot to prove. Thor: The Dark World, the film's most recent direct predecessor, is generally considered by fans and critics alike to be a low point for the Marvel cinematic universe. Even the first Thor got by more on humor, charm, and the charisma of Tom Hiddleston as Loki than it did on the strength of its story.

Thor: Ragnarok is upping the ante by bringing another Avenger, Hulk, along for the ride. Marvel has promised a cosmic road trip featuring the God of Thunder and the Green Goliath, and there's been evidence of the comic book storyline "Planet Hulk" creeping into the narrative. However, The Incredible Hulk is another relatively weak entry in the Marvel cinematic universe canon, meaning Thor: Ragnarok still has to work hard to become something more than the sum of its parts.

So then what could really make Thor: Ragnarok a godly film? Read on to see our suggestions.

Flight of the Valkyrie

Thor: The Dark World confirmed that the "gods" of Asgard can, in fact, be killed. Thor: Ragnarok seems to be intent on exploring the Asgardian afterlife. Part of that means introducing the Valkyries, Asgardian warrior women tasked with delivering the souls of the honorable dead to Valhalla, their final resting place.

The leader of this group is referred to by the superhero codename Valkyrie. Her given name is Brunnhilde, and she will be played by Tessa Thompson in Thor: Ragnarok. Valkyrie is already being billed a new love interest for Thor, but we're hoping that Brunnhilde has more to do in the film than just be the object of Thor's affection. Valkyrie is a mighty character in her own right, and seeing her lead the Valkyrior into battle, all armored and mounted on their winged Asgardian horses, would be quite a moment. Thor may have Lady Sif, but there's always room for more badass women in the Marvel cinematic universe, particularly badass women of color.

There's another interesting footnote here as well. While Marvel has given the Defenders name over the Netflix for what is actually more of a Marvel Knights series, the original comic book Defenders were a motley crew of heroes assembled in the 1970s. Of that group, Valkyrie, Hulk, and Doctor Strange were all key members. We know that Valkyrie and Hulk are in Thor: Ragnarok, and there have been reports of a scene taking place in Strange's Sanctum Santorum. It would be fun to see the classic Defenders get together, even if it is just an Easter egg moment.

Go to Hel

Continuing with the theme of Asgardian afterlife, we know that Cate Blanchett will play the villain Hela in Thor: Ragnarok. We've yet to see Blanchett in costume for the part, but Marvel did release a piece of concept art that shows Hela walking into Asgard. While that's exciting in its own right, we'd definitely like to see see Thor and Hulk's little road trip take them to Hela's home, Hel, the Asgardian realm of the dead.

Part of this desire is simply because the Thor movies are the closest thing Marvel has produced to fantasy (though Doctor Strange should change that), and part of fantasy is visiting exciting and otherworldly locales. The first Thor movie gave us our breathtaking first look at Asgard itself, plus a jaunt to the icy realm of Jotunheim, home of the Frost Giants. Thor: The Dark World was less exciting, visiting only Vanaheim and the barren, titular "Dark World" of Svartelheim. But no epic tale of gods and heroes is truly complete without a trip to the underworld.

There's been some photos from the set of Anthony Hopkins looking a little haggard as Odin. We still don't know that this is actually Odin and not Loki still using a glamour to impersonate the All-father, but it is possible that Odin looks this way because, after being murdered by Loki, he is sent to Hel. Thor going on a rescue mission would be an exciting scene but perhaps a more poignant one would be for Loki to visit Hel and find his deceased adoptive mother, Freya. Loki is a trickster god, so he's hard to get a read on, but Thor: The Dark World made clear that he has sincere love for Freya even after learning the truth of his lineage. A meeting between the two in the realm of the dead, especially after Loki has been impersonating Odin, has the potential for some powerful and emotional character development.

Planet Hulkamania

Fans have been begging for Marvel Studios to make a live-action film based on "Planet Hulk," the Greg Pak, Carlo Pagulayan, and Aaron Lopresti storyline that ran in The Incredible Hulk from 2006-2007. The story begins with Marvel's Illuminati tricking Hulk into a shuttle that takes him out of the solar system. While they intended to send him to a peaceful planet, he instead ends up on the planet Sakaar. The planet's culture resembles that of ancient Rome, ruled by a corrupt emperor and with an arena for gladiatorial games to pacify the masses, and Hulk becomes embroiled first in the games, and then in a revolution.

Thor: Ragnarok isn't exactly a "Planet Hulk" movie, but it is probably the closest thing fans are going to get (aside from the 2010 direct-to-DVD animated movie). We don't know how many or which specific elements of "Planet Hulk" Thor: Ragnarok will borrow, nor do we understand the context of their inclusion, and the Sakaarans were already used as the expendable soldiers of Ronan and Thanos' army in Guardians of the Galaxy. All we know for sure is that Hulk will at some point put on his iconic gladiator armor from the storyline. Marvel even showed the armor off at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2016.

A superhero movie, at its heart, is an action movie, and action movies need memorable set pieces. "Planet Hulk" provides the perfect opportunity to create one, with Hulk and Thor stuck on a foreign planet and forced to fight in the gladiatorial games. Perhaps the dessert environment even makes it difficult for Thor to summon his thunder. It would be kind of like the Geonosis arena scene from Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Except good. Hopefully.

Twilight of the Gods

We're still a little hazy on what the actual plot of Thor: Ragnarok is, but we hope that the film's subtitle wasn't just chosen to sound cool. The ever looming and inevitable threat of Ragnarok is an important part of the Norse mythology that inspired Marvel's Thor, and it was an important part of the Marvel characters' existence in earlier eras as well. The way that Marvel rationalized Ragnarok was to say that it was a cycle that endlessly repeated itself. It was eventually revealed that a group of beings called Those Who Sit Above in Shadow, gods to the gods, were perpetuating this cycle in order to feed off of the energy created by each Ragnarok cycle. When Odin exiled Thor to Midgard, that put Thor beyond the influence of Those Who Sit Above in Shadow, allowing Thor to escape destiny and end the vicious cycle during the final Ragnarok, which seemingly destroyed the Asgardians for good (they got better).

That is way more story than anyone should even hazard to hope fits into Thor: Ragnarok, but we do hope to see some version of the Ragnarok cycle take place and for the atmosphere of inevitable and tragic desperation that accompanies it to present itself in the film. During Ragnarok, Loki is supposed to lead the inhabitants of Hel into battle, and there should be an army of Frost Giants as well. The fire giant Surtur should take up his blade, Twilight, and lead his demon children into battle. This is the kind of epic narrative that fans come to Thor for, and we'd love to see it happen on the big screen.

In the end, we hope that Ragnarok concludes like it did in the comics, with the Asgardians seemingly wiped from existence. This isn't because we want them gone permanently, as Thor did eventually return and seek out the souls of his fellow Asgardians in the comics, but because it would set up a heroic return for Thor in Avengers: Infinity War.

An End To Thor And Loki's Tragic Bromance

A tale as terrible as Ragnarok needs suitably bittersweet ending, and that ending should probably dovetail with the conclusion to Thor and Loki's journey. The two started as brothers, but Loki learning of his true heritage as the son of Laufey the Frost Giant changed him. What may have been sibling rivalry grew to hatred as Loki tried to strand Thor on Midgard. Failing that, he decided to help lead the Chitauri army in an attempt to conquer Earth instead. In Thor: The Dark World, the brothers seemed to have bonded again over their love for their mother, Freya, but Loki, ever the opportunist, took advantage and secretly dethroned Odin.

Loki has been the true breakout character of the Thor saga, but all good things must come to an end. There are a few different way that Thor: Ragnarok could appropriately conclude Thor and Loki's doomed relationship. Loki, who has become a much more heroic character in the Marvel Comics universe as of late, could make a true face turn by sacrificing himself to save Asgard from Hela. On the flipside, perhaps Loki is working with Hela, which leaves Thor no choice but to finally kill his brother to end his schemes. On the other hand, maybe Loki gets a taste of his own medicine and, believing Thor to be dead, seeks to avenge his brother. Thor did bind himself to Yggdrasil, the World Tree, to stop Ragnarok in the comics, so perhaps that can factor in as well. Or perhaps the two brothers finally find common ground in a doomed attempt to defend Asgard from invading forces.

Again, this doesn't have to be the last word on their relationship. If Asgard is to fade away at the end of Ragnarok, then Thor and Loki can both return and revisit the state of their relationship in a new light when Asgard returns. However, even if Asgard does not fade away, it is time for these brothers to settle their differences once and for all.

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