Potential spoilers for Thor: Ragnarok.

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A Thor: Ragnarok Funko minifigure backs a major fan theory: that Jeff Goldblum's Grandmaster is a Celestial. The threequel looks to be very different to previous Thor films, with a story that sees the God of Thunder branching off into more Guardians of the Galaxy territory; banished from Asgard by Goddess of Death Hela to junk planet Sakaar, he must fight Hulk under the watchful eye of the Grandmaster before leading a last-ditch attempt to reclaim his home.

The Grandmaster is one of the biggest reasons for excitement about Ragnarok, not least because Jeff Goldblum's been cast in the role. The character also has some serious cosmic MCU links, with it recently revealed that he's the brother of The Collector (played in the original Guardians by Benicio del Toro). In the comics, the pair were Elders of the Universe, a group made up of survivors from near-extinct races, although it appears their heritage may be something different on screen.

Read More: Thor: Ragnarok – Jeff Goldblum Improvised Many of His Scenes

A new Funko Minifigure version of The Grandmaster has emerged, listed on ToyWiz (via MCUExchange) as a Celestial. This would seem to suggest that Goldblum's character is of the same hyper-ancient ilk as Ego the Living Planet from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

The Celestials are immensely powerful cosmic beings that emerged at the very start of the universe. In the MCU we've seen two - as well as Ego, a giant, comic-accurate being appeared in the first Guardian's vision of the Infinity Stones' creation - with the Living Planet presuming himself the last. This figure alleges otherwise.

Of course, it's worth noting that this is just a listing on a sales site and not confirmed official titling from Funko - and, even then, merchandise is never a perfect guide to the plot of a film; Funko's movie lines tend to be fairly accurate yet do often contain fantastical variants (such as the Joker in a batsuit). As such this shouldn't be taken as confirmation; it could be unrelated to Ragnarok or representative of a completely different powerset.

Read More: Thor 3 Director Explains Why Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster Isn’t Blue

If true, though, it indicates Marvel are wanting to bring the Celestials into the fold more directly, or at the very least are using them as shorthand for great cosmic power - possibly the latter given that neither Ego or Grandmaster are members of the species in print. What this means for Thor 3's plot is unclear, especially given how tightly under wraps Goldblum's role is, but it hints at some action role.

The Grandmaster being a Celestial would also suggest the Collector is one too if they're family, although their Elders relationship was more compatriotic than it was biological. Either way, it's something of a retcon to both Ego's thoughts in Vol. 2 and how the Collector first presented the species in Vol. 1. But seeing as it's a canon change that allows Jeff Goldblum to be a Celestial, most fans will probably allow it.

Whatever the case, with Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War bringing Earth's Mightiest Heroes into the cosmic realm, expect them to encounter many more weird and wonderful beings in the coming films.

Next: How Thor: Ragnarok Adapts Elements of the Planet Hulk Comic

Source: ToyWiz (via MCUExchange)

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