While the latest rumor that Idris Elba was being eyed as the next James Bond has been quickly debunked, it’s worth remembering that the actor already has an even bigger blockbuster franchise on his CV, with his run in the MCU spanning from 2011’s Thor to this year’s Avengers: Infinity War.
What’s more, with this being Marvel, a supposed death doesn’t necessarily mark a character’s exit from the franchise, so while Thor’s friend Heimdall is among the first to die in the recent fight against Thanos, there’s always a chance that the former sentry of the Bifröst Bridge will find some way back into the series.
When asked about this possibility, Elba remained as tight-lipped as everybody else is about the future of the Marvel universe. “I have no idea. It’s a show about superheroes and guns, who knows,” he told Metro.co.uk, with what’s reported to be a “knowing grin.” He then added, “It’s been amazing playing in the Marvel family.”
We know for a fact that we haven’t seen the last of several characters who seemingly meet their end in the latest Avengers flick, with the general opinion being that next year’s Avengers 4 will find a means of reversing the damage done by Thanos’ genocidal finger-snap. Heimdall, however, is a rather different case, suffering a more conventional death at the start of the movie after he transports the Hulk to Earth to warn folks about the Mad Titan’s impending arrival.
Though there’s been speculation that certain non-dusted fatalities like Loki and Gamora haven’t left the series quite yet, the death of Heimdall is more rarely disputed. But if Elba really is done with the character, the actor seems pretty satisfied with the arc he was given.
“I’m sure they decided to get rid of as many characters because they’ve run their natural course,” he added. “I loved playing him, he was my G, my guy.”
Then again, if Heimdall’s story does extend beyond Infinity War, the best place to find out about it will probably be Avengers 4, which is arriving in cinemas on May 3rd, 2019.
