‘Thor Ragnarok’ Spoilers: Thor Loses Mjolnir To Hela?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is doing great, with fans clamoring for more and more films featuring heroes brought to life from their comic book origins. With the success of each film, the culmination of the film series draws closer and closer. Thor: Ragnarok is one of the upcoming installments, and it sure is one of the most anticipated, too.
Reports from ComicBook revealed that Thor: Ragnarok will be the spark that will kick start the MCU into its next phase. Most fans know that events in the complex web of films will ultimately lead to what is now dubbed as the Infinity War, which is exactly the title of the next Avengers installment.
This setup is done deliberately, as the film is said to herald the coming of Infinity War “in a substantial way.” Expected appearances from Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk will help further weave the film into the Marvel Universe.
But Director Taika Waititi emphasized that the movie is its own entity. He said that Ragnarok will be a film that will not be “too bogged down in setup for other projects,” despite the premise. It remains to be seen whether this balance between distinction and the burden of continuity will be achieved successfully.
As for the storyline itself, the film is expected to be an epic fare. Anyone who knows a little bit about Norse mythology knows that the word “Ragnarok” spells doom and destruction for the whole Asgardian civilization as we know it. Chris Hemsworth’s Thor will be in a race against time to prevent the said event.
This destruction is said to be heralded by Hela, played by Cate Blanchett. Hela is the “avatar of death” in this mythology. She is also the ruler of the realm of the afterlife which, unsurprisingly, is called “Hel.”
Now, this would have been a cinch; it is, after all, typical superhero fare defeating a villain, right? We would think so, except that this time, Thor will be separated from his trusty hammer, Mjolnir. This is perhaps one of the most cruel plot points in the film. Besides, our hero will be imprisoned on the other side of the universe in the beginning, so before any villain-defeating could take place he would need to find his way to Asgard first, and without the help of his beloved weapon. As we said: truly a race against time.
Where could Mjolnir be? Speculations point that the mighty hammer is in Hela’s possession. This is unconfirmed, but Disney footage from the film revealed evidence that this might be the case.
The footage was shown to a select few, being a showcase to stockholders of the entertainment company. The clip was said to depict the villain Hela holding Mjolnir herself, although not as one would typically wield it. She is holding the mighty Mjolnir by its head, with the handle extending away from her.
Now, it could be true that Hela is holding Mjolnir, but most people would probably say is that it is impossible for that to happen, as she cannot be “worthy.” But let’s face it: the criteria for being “worthy” of wielding Mjolnir is not clearly defined in the movies. For all we know, it could only be based on sheer power, and we know that Hela is immensely powerful. It could be noted that Vision effortlessly held the hammer in his appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Still, an alternate explanation was offered. It could be that Hela is not actually wielding Mjolnir, but rather stopping it in its tracks. In any case, this proves Hela can be a deserving contender, a worthy match for the thunder god, and a being that can bring about Ragnarok.
Thor: Ragnarok is expected to be released in October of this year.
[Featured Image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]
