Thor: Love & Thunder Made The MCU's Heimdall Crimes Even Worse

Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Thor: Love and Thunder.

In Thor: Love and Thunder, the MCU introduces an exciting new character in Astrid "Axl" Heimdallson, Heimdall's son - but Axl actually highlights how Marvel made poor use of Heimdall throughout every movie. Axl's MCU debut sees the young Asgardian immediately becoming crucial to the plot, which can't ever be said of Axl's father, Heimdall, even though Heimdall was the gatekeeper of the Bifrost Bridge. Despite being technically more powerful than most Avengers, Heimdall is relegated to the sidelines throughout the Thor movies and Infinity War - basically the gist of the MCU's Heimdall problem.

In contrast, Axl's first MCU movie sees him getting kidnapped by the big bad, becoming Thor's only telepathic link to the missing Asgardian kids, and being granted - for a limited time only - the power of Thor. Thor: Love and Thunder even lays the foundations for Astrid "Axl" Heimdallson to return as an Asgardian warrior, trained by Lady Sif and armed with Heimdall's overpowered abilities. Moreover, without Axl's assistance, then Thor, Mighty Thor, and Valkyrie might not have saved as much children as they did. Inspired by the Guns N' Roses vocalist, Axl even gets to choose his own name. As Axl isn't a Marvel Comics character and was created just for Thor 4, the name is clearly a nod to the thematic links between Thor, '80s metal, and Norse mythology. Axl is also one of two potential Young Avengers that appear in Thor 4, the other being Gorr's daughter Love.

Astrid "Axl" Heimdallson - in just one Thor movie - shows much more promise and character development than his father Heimdall ever did throughout all of his MCU appearances. Ironically, both in the comics and the movies, Heimdall was portrayed not just a highly capable warrior, but an omniscient being who could see and hear everything that transpired in the Nine Realms. Heimdall's abilities included being able to communicate with any Asgardian telepathically, and even sending Thor his exact visions. He is basically a Nine Realms-wide intelligence network and transport system rolled into one badass sword-wielding cosmic warrior. However, while Axl Heimdallson seems to shine at every new thing he tries and was crucial to the Thor: Love and Thunder ending, Heimdall was mostly relegated to being narrative furniture. Axl is a welcome addition to the MCU's roster - but his existence also further emphasizes the fact that Heimdall had a life that audiences never got to see.

Heimdall Was Horribly Underused In Marvel's Thor Movies

A portrait of Heimdall without his helmet in Thor

It is quite strange that the Asgardians, a warrior race who built their civilization using advanced technology and magic, failed to utilize Heimdall's full abilities - even during Asgard's most desperate moments. Heimdall was supposed to see any incoming threat to Asgard, yet the Frost Giants, the Dark Elves, Loki, Thanos, and Hela all got past Heimdall very easily. Thor: Ragnarok even sidelined the story of Heimdall shepherding the surviving Asgardians to an offscreen plot point. In fact, Heimdall was most useful when he sent Bruce Banner back to Earth in Avengers: Infinity War. What's really frustrating is that Heimdall's omniscience would've helped Doctor Strange in strategizing against Thanos.

The Thor: Love and Thunder cast welcoming Axl Heimdallson as a crucial new hero is ultimately bittersweet, as it magnifies how underused Heimdall was in the MCU. That said, just as Gorr the God Butcher died so Love could fly, Heimdall's legacy could similarly still be saved by Axl. Apart from also exhibiting the same powers that his father Heimdall wielded, Axl showed a level of leadership and initiative that Heimdall sadly lacked throughout every Thor and Avengers movie. Up until Heimdall died at Thanos' hands, the MCU never did fix its Heimdall problem, which is essentially the biggest plot hole in the MCU's Asgard story arc. In any case, as Axl Heimdallson seems to be on the way to taking on greater responsibilities, he is bound to return to the MCU. Axl's future will determine whether or not the MCU can somehow redeem itself from its Heimdall crimes in a future Thor 5.

More: Thor: Love & Thunder Easter Eggs & Marvel References

Want more Thor: Love and Thunder articles? Check out our essential content below...