Thor: Love and Thunder sets up the possibility for Thor 5 to finally bring justice to Heimdall, over ten years after his MCU introduction. Heimdall (Idris Elba) is based on the Norse deity of the same name and was introduced in Thor, then went on to appear in Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok, and Avengers: Infinity War. Thor also saw an illusion of Heimdall in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Despite his appearances, the MCU never did him justice.

Heimdall is the omniscient gatekeeper of Asgard and the Bifrost and is therefore pretty powerful. But there has been a Heimdall problem since Thor, with Marvel never seeming sure how to create compelling conflict when one character should always be able to see it coming. As such, Heimdall is repeatedly pushed to the side of the plot, never fleshed out as a three-dimensional character, and comes across as incompetent at his job, letting multiple invaders into Asgard.

Related: Why Heimdall Is So Bad At His One Job In The MCU

Marvel finally "fixed" their Heimdall problem by having Thanos swiftly kill him at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War. Unlike other MCU characters, Heimdall hasn't been brought back to life or given his own spinoff series. But Thor: Love and Thunder did bring him back for one postmortem, post-credits cameo, in which he welcomes Jane Foster to Valhalla, an afterlife for Asgardians who die in combat. Marvel also introduced Heimdall's powerful son, Axl Heimdallson, in Thor: Love and Thunder. This added an extra dimension to the deceased Heimdall that wasn't previously shown. It gives hope that a possible Thor 5 could further explore Heimdall's history—and his future.

Heimdall's Story Is Still Important In The MCU

Idris Elba Heimdall Chris Hemsworth Thor 4

Axl and his gift of sight inherited from his father are vitally important to the plot of Thor: Love and Thunder. His struggles with his powers also open an insightful window to the struggles that Heimdall likely went through centuries earlier. Thor: Love and Thunder also briefly introduces Axl's mother and Heimdall's widow, Grace. Their existence adds another layer to Heimdall and his attempts to save the people of Asgard during Thor: Ragnarok. Loki, pretending to be Odin, banished Heimdall so he couldn't interfere. But Heimdall returns to Asgard in secret, risking his life as Hela takes over the realm, to lead Asgardians to safety. It's now clear Heimdall was not only trying to protect his friends, but his family as well.

Heimdall's Avengers: Infinity War death seems permanent, but he could come back in Thor 5. If Jane decides she needs to leave Valhalla, Heimdall could be the one to help her. In the comics, Thor resurrects Jane with a little help from the late Odin, but the films have shown Heimdall as a more likely candidate to break the rules of life and death. An escape from Valhalla would give Heimdall an interesting storyline and a chance to interact more with Jane, with whom he has actually barely spoken onscreen. With his family repeatedly in danger on Midgard, Heimdall also has plenty of reason to want to return from the dead with Jane after Thor: Love and Thunder.

Even if Heimdall stays dead, Thor 5 could explore his life with Grace and Axl through flashbacks or conversations. New dad Thor may be looking for parental advice, especially considering Odin wasn't necessarily the best dad, and could speak to Grace. Maybe Axl's sight could grant him a short connection to Heimdall in Valhalla. No matter what, Thor: Love and Thunder proves Heimdall is still important to the MCU and that it isn't too late to give him the story he deserves.

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