Stillanerd’s Speculation: What Thor: Ragnarok could mean for Avengers: Infinity War
By Mike McNulty
In which we take a look at what the future may hold for Thor and his “Revengers” in the forthcoming third Avengers movie.
More from Movies
- James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy casts more major DC characters
- New Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trailer pushes Arthur to his limits
- 7 actors who could replace Ezra Miller as The Flash in the DC Universe
- Masters of the Universe reboot’s new domain could be at Amazon’s Prime Video Streamer
- James Gunn gives interesting update of Superman and Supergirl movies at DC Studios
Like the comics from which they’re inspired, the Marvel Studios films are an connected universe. Although you can watch them individually, they build upon each other, creating a larger epic story. Never has this been more so than with their latest movie, Thor: Ragnarok. Even Captain America: Civil War didn’t result in such radical departures from the source material. It also has potential ramifications for Marvel Studios’ upcoming 2018 summer blockbuster, Avengers: Infinity War.
But what are those ramifications? Just how will Thor: Ragnarok shape and affect what will happen in Avengers: Infinity War? Moreover, what might the stories for Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Valkyrie (Tess Thompson) and others be in this third Avengers film? Let’s take out our crystal balls and see. Oh, and of course, I should warn you that if you haven’t yet seen Thor: Ragnarok, there are some Major Spoilers to follow.
Credit: Marvel Studios; from Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Thor Odinson: King of the Asgardians
The number of alterations done to Thor over the course of this movie is staggering. Bit by bit, he’s stripped of his basic iconography, in particular his hammer, Mjolnir. His father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins) dies. He loses an eye during his fight with Hela. More importantly, Asgard is destroyed, making Thor a king of a people in exile. At least, as a trade-off, he has cool lightning powers, although this essentially makes him just like Raiden from Mortal Kombat.
Here’s the question: what purpose did this all serve? Ideally, what Thor underwent during this movie should make him a much wiser, but no less cocky, ruler. Him inheriting the throne was always his destiny as early as the first Thor movie. Having also lost his right eye like his father is no accident, either, especially if you’re familiar with Norse mythology and how Odin gained wisdom. What Thor: Ragnarok has done is symbolically turn Thor into his father, only with the promise that he won’t committing his father’s sins.
What we could see Avengers: Infinity War, then, is a Thor who has taken on the weight of the crown. He’ll still radiate an inflated confidence with a smile and swagger, sure, but also have a sense of maturity, too. At least for longer beat than he did during Thor: Ragnarok anyway.