If there’s one thing the Marvel Cinematic Universe has shown in its films and television programmes, it’s that death isn’t always the end of the road for its characters, as Agent Coulson and Loki demonstrated.
Hela has only appeared in one MCU film, Thor: Ragnarok, and while the storey ended with her apparent demise, she could reappear in a variety of ways, whether through godly trickery or the existence of the recently established multiverse, to cause more chaos for her Asgardian foes or bring some comic book lore to the big screen.
5. The Thanos Connection
As the MCU focused on his connection to the Infinity Stones, there are a number of things that only comic book fans know about Thanos the Mad Titan, including his dealings with Hela, a storyline that seems like prime material for exploration in Marvel’s What If…? series.
The story sees a weakened Hela secretly align herself with Thanos, and later reveal her identity to him in a grand display of her power, before asking him for help to reclaim her dominion over Hel. In exchange, she promises to grant him that which he most desires, and the two share a kiss. As the character Death (whom Thanos is infatuated with) is absent from the MCU, this story could put Hela in her place and could be an excellent showcase of the pair’s combined powers.
4. Hel’s Ruler
Hela is the ruler of Asgard’s afterlife, Hel, and she is portrayed in the MCU commanding armies of dead warriors, but there is more to her link to the world that has gone unspoken.
In the comics, Hela forged a pact with Death to claim the souls of Asgardians and anyone who worshipped the Asgardians in any form. She also has dominion over the dead not only in Hel, but also in the larger realm of Niflheim, albeit she cannot affect those in Valhalla. As Thor’s MCU tale continues in Thor: Love and Thunder and beyond, there is a potential to examine the implications of Hela’s post-life control, especially given Thor’s loss of many friends along the way.
3. Asgard’s Past
Hela’s background was revealed in Thor: Ragnarok that before Thor and Loki were born, she and Odin mercilessly conquered worlds together, allowing them to build Asgard as a flourishing empire.
Hela’s travels were briefly mentioned, as was her later fight against the Valkyries once Odin turned against her, but the millennia of experiences she had in a position of power could not be fully shown in the film. A prequel focusing on Hela might provide a chance for the MCU to fill in the blanks from this interesting era in Asgard’s history, showing her abilities alongside a more ruthless Odin.
2. Loki Alike
In the MCU, there has been considerable argument over who is Thor’s worse sibling, between Loki and Hela, but in the comics, Thor’s siblings have a very different relationship. In fact, in the comics, they aren’t even siblings; Hela is Loki’s daughter.
Though this narrative was unable to be developed in the main timeline of the MCU, it is still possible that it may be handled in the Loki show on Disney+. In this scenario, Hela might be a Loki variation and the daughter of an other version of the trickster, allowing Marvel to hire another actress as Hela if necessary, while also putting Loki in the unexpected but exciting new role of parenthood.
1. Taking on Gorr
Gorr the God Butcher is slated to be the major antagonist of Love and Thunder, pitting himself against not just Thor Odinson, but also Jane Foster’s Thor and Valkyrie.
Given Gorr’s contempt for the Asgardian gods and all forms of divinity, Hela would be a natural foe of the villain, and if she were shown to have survived the events of Ragnarok, a powerful introduction to Gorr’s might could see him hunting her down and retrieving her Necroswords, a weapon he also uses, to kickstart his path of vengeance.
