In Guardians Of The Galaxy, fans got to meet their first Elder of the Universe in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the form of Benicio del Toro‘s the Collector. Now the character’s brother is debuting in Thor: Ragnarok, with Jeff Goldblum playing the Grandmaster.
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And though they don’t reference each other in their on-screen appearances, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said he hopes the two share a scene in a future film.
“It would be awesome man. It would be great,” said Feige during an interview with Fandango. “We love the idea that they’re brothers. If you go on the Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout attraction at California Adventure in Anaheim, you will see a picture on Collector’s wall of he and the Grandmaster playing some sort of a space chess game, which right now is the only place you can see the two of them in a frame together, but let’s hope that changes someday.”
The new Disney attraction at the California Adventure theme park is loaded with tons of easter eggs for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but few are as loaded as that piece of art depicting the two brothers in bitter battle.
It was actually created by Marvel Studios artist Ryan Meinerding, who has contributed to many movies in the cinematic universe. This lends further credence to the “official” aspect of the art, rather than it just being a fun nod Disney Imagineers decided to include.
In the comics, the Elders of the Universe are some of the oldest beings in existence, and each of them is the last surviving member of their race. They are known for their predilections, like the Collector’s collecting and the Grandmaster’s wagering.
In the comics, Ego the Living Planet is also a member of the Elders of the Universe, though in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 the Kurt Russell version of the character is actually a Celestial.
The MCU hasn’t clearly defined the difference between Celestials and Elders, though we know that both races do exist. Hopefully a future film will show Goldblum and del Toro sharing a scene, perhaps shedding some light on their cosmic status.
Thor: Ragnarok premieres in theaters Friday, November 3.