The MCU Has Been Secretly Setting Up One of Thor’s Most Dangerous Villains

ByHrvoje Milakovic Posted on
Share:

The MCU hasn’t officially announced a fifth Thor movie, but it’s likely to happen. Despite mixed reviews for ‘Thor: Love and Thunder,’ both Thor and Chris Hemsworth are still very popular. Hemsworth is in talks with Marvel for another Thor movie, and director George Miller has shown interest in directing ‘Thor 5.’ Thor is the only one of the original four MCU heroes who isn’t retired, dead, or tied up in legal issues. He’s already faced iconic foes like Loki, Hela, and Gorr. So, who will be the next big villain?

‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ teased Hercules as an antagonist, but in the comics, he’s more of a hero with a rivalry with Thor. A better villain for ‘Thor 5’ could be Ragnarok, a cyborg clone of Thor. He has most of Thor’s abilities and wields a hammer similar to Mjølnir. Ragnarok first appeared in the comics during the Civil War event. Tony Stark, Hank Pym, and Reed Richards created him using a strand of Thor’s hair. In the MCU, Hank and Reed could create Ragnarok to protect Earth while the real Thor is off dealing with space threats.

RELATED:

15 Best Superhero Movies Of All Time, Ranked

In the comics, a Skrull named Criti Noll sabotaged Ragnarok, making him aggressive and violent. The Skrulls have been featured in recent MCU projects like ‘Secret Invasion’ and ‘The Marvels,’ so Criti could easily tie into recent events. She could be a remnant of Gravik’s Skrull Resistance or a disillusioned refugee. The strand of Thor’s hair used for Ragnarok could come from the Harvest, the collection of superhuman DNA mentioned in ‘Secret Invasion.’

Ragnarok’s story also connects to the Thunderbolts. In the comics, his first mission went wrong, and he killed Bill Foster, a character who has appeared in the MCU. Hercules, introduced in ‘Love and Thunder,’ eventually defeated Ragnarok. This connection could seamlessly tie ‘Thor 5’ to the post-credit scene of the previous movie.

Ragnarok’s inclusion would help balance the tone of ‘Thor 5.’ Hemsworth admitted that ‘Love and Thunder’ had an uneven tone due to too much comedy. Introducing an evil clone like Ragnarok would allow Hemsworth to play a more serious role while keeping Thor’s humor. This theory, sourced from CBR, suggests Ragnarok’s story could bring a new dynamic to the Thor series and keep the character fresh.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!