With the recent announcement that Taika Waititi will be returning to direct Thor 4the internet is buzzing at the prospect of the continuation of this fantastic story. The previous Thor film was a reinvention for the character, with Chris Hemsworth becoming an MVP of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A new film therefore means a new cast of characters, although we are hoping for the return of the likes of Miek and Korg.

Of course, what everyone really wants to know is what's the next threat that the God of Thunder will face? Marvel Studios have already used some of Thor's best villains, including Maliketh, Hela and fan-favorite Loki. This suggests that there's not much room for growth. However, there's actually plenty of enemies that could force Thor to throw himself into battle again and here's 10 that could be featured in Thor 4!

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ALTERNATE LOKI

 

Avengers: Endgame created a complicated situation for the character of Loki. Although he was killed in the previous Avengers blockbuster, the creation of a new timeline means that there is a version of the trickster god still alive in the multiverse. We assume that he is in a different dimension for now, but that doesn't mean he can't be moved into the regular time stream, much like Steve Rogers managed to do.

A different Loki, who never learned to love or forgive his brother, might be the best villain for the next Thor film. Although there are sure to be some other supporting players, renewing one of the best rivalries in Marvel movies, might be a great way to continue to develop this saga further. The most likely result is that they end up on the same side once more, but it's an interesting path to follow.

ENCHANTRESS

The Enchantress is a long time Thor villain that is yet to find her place in the MCU. Her right-hand man, the Executioner, has already made his debut on the big screen but she has not had the same privilege. This may be because the creative team are waiting for the right opportunity to introduce her. Amora first appeared in the comics in Journey into Mystery #103 and has been a unique threat for Thor.

Unlike the other foes that the thunder god has come up against, Amora relies in part on her seduction. She is obsessed with the possibility of Thor falling in love with her and is often trying to pull him away from his other female companions. She's also a strong sorceress though, with her magical abilities becoming an unpredictable component in any battle. Visually her power set is made for the movies and she could add a different dynamic to the cast.

JORMUNGAND

Norse mythology has created many foes for Thor to fight and one of them is Jormungand the Midgard Serpent, who has wrapped himself around the Earth and is destined to kill the God of Thunder in their final fight. The Serpent is more of a physical threat than an intellectual one and is both monstrous in size and vicious in personality.

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Marvel Tales #105 saw the character debut in the comics and he's been killed and brought back to battle many times. He's an imposing adversary for any Asgardian and it takes a lot to truly defeat him. Now that Ragnarok has passed in the universe, the emergence of the Serpent seems like a fitting conclusion to the franchise and it could ultimately prove the downfall of the former King of Asgard.

ANGELA

Angela attacks in Marvel Comics.

Angela has a complicated history in comics and isn't strictly a Thor villain, but she has faced the Asgardian on numerous occasion and is even supposedly the lost sister of the god. The movie version of Hela was clearly inspired by Angela in part, but this character could actually offer something quite different as a villain.

The character was actually sold to Marvel by Neil Gaiman, who co-created Angela with Todd McFarlane. She was retconned into the universe and has had many roles across the series since being introduced in Marvel Comics' via their Age of Ultron eventHer appearance in the films could serve as the opposite of Valkyrie, a lost warrior who seems to be an ally before turning on Thor and the team. The MCU likely wouldn't make her yet another sibling though!

ULIK

Asgardians weren't the only people to live on Asgard before its demise as the world was also populated by other species including Rock Trolls! We've seen no evidence of them in the films so far, after Ragnarok, which in part was caused by Thor, the Rock Trolls may have a bone to pick with the man responsible for destroying their home.

Ulik is one of the fiercest fighters in all of the universe and would make a good champion to represent his people. After first appearing in Thor #137 Ulik has reappeared countless times in order to best Thor in combat. He would make an interesting villain for the fourth installment in the franchise as he'd be another reminder of Thor's failures as well as a physically threatening adversary.

ARES

Ares you might recognize as the Greek God of War, but he's also been a massive threat in the Marvel universe for quite some time. There have been rumblings for a while that the Greek pantheon may finally be added to the MCU and that could open the door for this notoriously skilled fighter to become the next villain in the Thor films.

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Ares has had many motivations over the years but for his role in the next movie, he could simply be about competition. The God of War wants the best fighters in the universe to go up against him so he can prove his worth in combat. With Thor still potentially struggling with how worthy he is, this may be the perfect enemy for him to go up against. Not only this, it opens up future opportunities teams like the Dark Avengers.

WRECKING CREW

The Wrecking Crew have been some of the premium thugs in Marvel Comics since their debut in The Defenders in 1974. They've been a large threat to many different heroes and teams due to their strength, size and the fact that there's four of them! They have yet to be featured in the MCU but the Wrecking Crew feels like a villainous team Taika Waititi is perfectly equipped to bring to life.

They are of course brilliant to form the role of comedic relief and could never be featured as the prime villains of the story, but they would be great serving under someone as powered thugs. They might be especially useful to be paired with the Enchantress who could not only gift them with their powers, but can also manipulate them to do her bidding. They aren't the brightest bunch but they can throw a strong punch!

RAGNAROK

We've seen Ragnarok the event on the big screen, but we haven't seen the character! The Civil War storyline in the comics helped to put this character in the limelight for the first time. The robotic clone of the God of Thunder was shown to be a dangerous and uncontrollable being when he killed Bill Foster!

There's been evidence to suggest that some governmental bodies may actually have Thor's DNA in the MCU. It wouldn't be too far out to expect that these forces would try to recreate such a powerful weapon for their own use. A character like this could be controlled by someone like Thunderbolt Ross and then go AWOL eventually parting from his master and causing his own destruction.

CUL BORSON

Cul Borson the Serpent from Fear Itself and Thor

The Fear Itself arc launched Cul Borson into the foreground of some of Thor's most oppressive villains. He's a character that is so heavily tied to Norse mythology, as the God of Fear. He's also a foe that could do exactly what is needed of the next Thor villain and that is to psychologically manipulate the God of Thunder and play mind games with him.

The Fear Itself story was wide-ranging and we don't expect it to become fully adapted to the big screen, but a version of events that focus primarily on the main cast of the franchise would be a great next chapter for one of the best Marvel sagas. This is a merciless and vile villain who can also take on the form of the Serpent and may be a way to combine this character and Midgard Serpent into the MCU.

ELDERS OF THE UNIVERSE

The Grandmaster and The Collecter have already been featured in previous MCU films, but they are still cosmic threats that exist in the larger continuity. Both of them have gripes with Earth and it's heroes and Grandmaster especially has a dislike for Thor. It would make a lot of sense if we finally got to see the two brother team up!

Not only this, there are other Elders in the galaxy that exist and this would be a perfect opportunity to finally unite them as a much stronger force. They are incredibly capable of long term plotting and while individually they can be bested, united together they might be a fun, colorful but also very deadly set of foes for the final film in the Thor saga.

NEXT: Thor 4: 6 Characters We Want To Return (& 4 We Don't)