If there is one thing Marvel fans like, it is fan-theories. The fandom is filled with netizens who cook up their own MCU conspiracy theories, and Avengers: Infinity War has got sleuths coming out of the woodworks. Following San Diego Comic Con, fans are trying to suss out how Thor: Ragnarok will set up the third Avengers film, and an answer may have already been found.

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This past week, Thor: Ragnarok made a big entrance into San Diego Comic Con as it debuted a new trailer, and the footage did not come alone. A clip of Avengers: Infinity War also previewed exclusively at the event before it leaked online, and the trailers’ combined footage have helped fans craft an interesting theory about how the movies are connected.

After all, the cast of Thor: Ragnarok has said the film will help launch Avengers: Infinity War. Taika Waititi, the film’s director, admitted that the end of Thor‘s third film will set up how the God of Thunder comes across the Guardians of the Galaxy by the time Avengers: Infinity War roles around. And, in the slides below, you can read up on how the encounter may come to be.

Bye-Bye Asgard

It’s no secret; Asgard is in for it in Thor: Ragnarok. The film’s title is a direct reference to Norse mythology and the tale of its pantheon’s destruction. The trailers for Thor: Ragnarok have all but confirmed Hela will bring ruin upon Asgard with Odin being MIA and Loki unsure of how to rule. The Goddess of Death is seen slaying countless Asgardians once she enters the realm, and Thor will be no match for her strength. With no champion to protect it, Asgard will come to lay in waste, and the world will be open to one important figure.

Enter Thanos

With Asgard in shambles, the realm will be up for the taking to Thanos. The villain is on a mission to collect all of the Infinity Gems, and that will require him to come to Asgard. Not only is the Tesseract hidden safely within the realm, but Asgard is the last-known holding location for the Infinity Gauntlet itself. The leaked Avengers: Infinity War trailer is said to show Loki holding up the Tesseract to a figure off-screen, and the Trickster God sports the same look he will in Thor: Ragnarok. The scene may be one that shows Loki coming face-to-face with Thanos, and the god will be forced to pick a side.

Loki Reunites The Tesseract

With Asgard in ruins and Thanos at its front door, Loki will likely become the figure who holds the Tesseract’s fate in his hands. As mentioned, the Avengers: Infinity War trailer does show the villain holding up the object to an unknown character, and it could be Thanos (or his Black Order) coming to collect the gem. Let’s not forget Loki does owe a debt to the Mad Titan; After all, Thanos is the one who empowered Loki to invade Earth with the Chitauri back during The Avengers. Fans learned then that Loki was fearful of the cosmic villain, and Loki would not hesitate to betray Thor to save his own skin.

Thor Meets Space

According to the Avengers: Infinity War trailer, the Guardians of the Galaxy meet up with Thor in space. The footage sees Thor knocking into the team’s spaceship as they fly through the debris of a planet, and it’s not impossible to believe the area may have once been Asgard. Thor is poised to lose against Hela as she tries to destroy Asgard, and he may get caught up in the realm’s annihilation. There’s no telling whether the god will be present if Loki does meet up with Thanos, but Thor will surely get a tip-off about the Mad Titan’s scheme before he’s sent flying into space. And, when he awakens with the Guardians, the Asgardian royal will realize the danger the universe is in.

More Thor News

In Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok, Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok – the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization – at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first, he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger – the Incredible Hulk!

Thor: Ragnarok is directed by Taika Waititi with a screenplay by Eric Pearson. The film stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Tom Hiddleston reprising his role as Loki. They are joined by Cate Blanchett (Hela), Idris Elba (Heimdall), Jeff Goldblum (Grandmaster), Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie), Karl Urban (Skurge), Anthony Hopkins (Odin), Sam Neill, Ray Stevenson (Volstagg), Tadanobu Asano (Hogun), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk), and Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr. Stephen Strange).

Next up for Marvel is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on May 5, 2017. Spider-Man: Homecoming lands on July 7, 2017, followed by Thor: Ragnarok on November 3, 2017. After that Black Panther debuts on February 16, 2018, while Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on May 4, 2018. Ant-Man and the Wasp is slated for July 6, 2018, followed by Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019.

How excited are you for Thor: Ragnarok? The film is currently at an impressive 4.11/5 in our Anticipation rankings – rate YOUR excitement, below!