Anyone can return to the MCU. If Marvel has taught us anything, it’s that nobody is ever really dead, which, if you ask us (you didn’t), is both a blessing and a curse. The fact that any character can be resurrected through the magic of the multiverse means that some of our favorite fallen heroes get a second chance — and the same applies to the franchise’s gallery of villains.
Once you realize the writers behind these superhero stories only have to dream up a reality where a dead character ends up alive, suddenly the question of “could” starts to sound a bit silly.
Cate Blanchett’s Hela, Thor and Loki’s evil older sister, is a great example. She’s definitely dead. Actually, she’s deader than dead. She was skewered by a giant-flaming demon sword. Now we’re no expert, but it doesn’t seem like many people could walk that off. Actually, no one could walk that off. She’s dead as hell. Sorry y’all.
Remember Surtur? Harbinger of Ragnarok, and destroyer of Asgard? He’s the one Hela was up against, and although their battle might have been legendary, it was a bit one sided all things considered.
Still, just because Hela bit the dust doesn’t mean she couldn’t be brought back — and at a time when the MCU is struggling to find its footing, maybe she should be. Hela could be the uniting villain the new young heroes of Marvel are looking for, but will she? No probably not. Sorry to all you Hela stans out there, our hearts break with yours.
The Disney machine already has years of narrative arcs planned and re-planned — we don’t see a way Hela could be factored in. The MCU is far too busy with their upcoming Secret Wars storyline, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, or Captain America: New World Order to worry about bringing back an old villain.
Although Marvel dips down into the past, their eyes have always been set squarely on the future, and that’s been the secret to their longevity. Like bratty children, the MCU knows what we want before we want it, and rarely gives us what we’ve already had.
It’s true that there’s a lot to look forward to within the coming phases of Marvel’s not-so-evil plan, but that doesn’t mean we can’t dream of a day when a knife wielding, crown wearing villain like Hela could return to terrorize Earth’s mightiest heroes.