The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become one of the most diverse places in the entertainment industry. One would think this is because of their casting choices. But I am actually referring to their tendency to introduce increasingly diverse characters. We’ve met aliens, Celestials, Elder Gods, and even alternate universe versions of our resident characters. This all seems to be in preparation for something big. But that is what the MCU is known for, its preparation and uncanny ability to foreshadow things. Like did you know that the Hela twist of Ragnarok was actually first hinted at in Thor? The character has always been around and we just missed the signs.
The MCU was the brainchild of Kevin Feige. His foresight and vision enabled Marvel Studios to make something bigger than themselves in such a way that even the audiences were left baffled. Phase I was a different world altogether. Fans were still unsure whether the universe would amount to something or not and many expected Marvel to fail after Phase I. But the release of Avengers changed everything. A comic team that barely anyone knew became the gold standard for comic book movies and that this the beauty of this media. The fans may not have been able to predict any of this but Kevin Feige knew what would happen. In fact, he knew it so well that he hid numerous setups and easter eggs in Phase I movies for the fans to find. The search for these continues even today.
Hela Twist of Ragnarok
Reddit user u/bravoyankee15 had this to say on a thread about the most intricate details you’ve seen in a Marvel movie, “The foreshadowing in Thor: during the coronation scene, Odin hesitates when he gets to “…my firstborn.” His voice cracks; it pans to Frigga who glances away. And then we wait SIX YEARS for the long con to play out. Excellent.” It is a very small detail but it shows just how far ahead the MCU had things planned for. Hela might not have been the studio’s first choice as a villain for Thor: Ragnarok but they clearly had some plans to introduce her in a Thor story in the future.
Odin’s speech in the first movie, the slight glance towards Frigga, and Hela’s reveal in Ragnorok were all linked, who could have thought? This is a testament to the world-building of Marvel and the setups that they are waiting to cash on. Fans had a lot of gripes with Ragnarok’s story. They thought it was unfair for Marvel Studios to retcon Thor’s family history like that. It was a little out of left fields for many fans, but they chose to forgive the movie and the director because they gave us something else that was very much needed.
I am talking about the fact that Ragnarok actually allowed Thor to develop past the cliche of a bratty Thunder God into a wholesome character in the MCU with shades of grey. He was no longer a dumbfounded prince but someone with actual opinions and motivations. Thor turned into a goofball because Hela turned his life upside down. Feige might not have envisioned this change when he created the setup in Thor to insert another firstborn if needed. But he would certainly be happy with the final outcome.
In Hindsight
In hindsight, it seems obvious that a sub-franchise that focuses on the throne of Asgard would conclude with a struggle for the said throne. But at the time of the release of Ragnarok, fans were concerned more with the advent of Thanos in the MCU rather than the power struggle of a single kingdom. Still, Hela made her share of waves and it is nice to know that she was set up before Ragnarok and was not something that was added arbitrarily to create tension and force character development for Thor.
We feel that the character has come a long way in the past couple of years and he will become one of the most important characters in the MCU after Love And Thunder.
Let us know what you think about this Hela twist of Ragnarok down in the comments and keep watching this space for everything Marvel, DC, and Hollywood. Excelsior!!!
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