Marvel's god of thunder, Thor, recently returned to the big screen with his third solo movie, "Thor: Ragnarok," and he might soon have an alien ally.
In the film's events, Thor finds himself enslaved on planet Sakaar, forced to fight as a gladiator for the Grandmaster's amusement. When sent to fight the Grandmaster's champion, he finds himself face to face with the Hulk, who disappeared after "Age of Ultron." Having never turned back into Bruce Banner, Hulk has found an enjoyable life on Sakaar, where the people love him for being such a fierce fighter. In multiple scenes, the camera finds the champions tower Hulk lives in, adorned with 6 faces. At the top sits Man-Thing, and to his sides are Ares, Bi-Beast, Hulk, Fin Fang Foom, and fan-favorite Beta Ray Bill. Bill, a member of the alien race the Korbinites, is a heavy hitter in the Marvel world, serving as champion for his own people as well. In the animated adaptation of the "Planet Hulk" storyline that inspired aspects of "Thor: Ragnarok," Bill faces off against Hulk in the arena, with Hulk's ally stating that if Bill has any weaknesses, they will be dead before they can find one. Bill is monstrous in appearance, with a skeletal horse face that makes him seem villainous to anyone seeing him for the first time. Despite this, he is actually one of Marvel's most righteous characters, worthy enough to pick up Thor's hammer Mjolnir during their first encounter, his horrific design a lesson on judging appearances and used to make his worthiness a shocking reveal. In Thor volume 338, Thor fights Bill for ownership of Mjolnir, with both collapsing on a raft on a lava river. Bill awakens first, and, deeming Thor a worthy opponent, saves him from the lava before they are transported to Asgard. The following issue, Odin decides that because of their even nature and Bill saving Thor, Bill shall have his own hammer, named Stormbreaker, made in the same process with the same materials as Mjolnir. While his hammer and status grant him thunderous powers similar to Thor, Bill is a formidable foe without them, as he has great strength, durability, and fighting skill. This would make him a quite important ally to have in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's future, with the powerful Thanos looming on the horizon. Bill was initially set to appear in Thor: Ragnarok, but in an interview with Craveonline, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said his part was too small. To Feige, the appearance would have been a disservice to the character and lead to outrage from fans. To me, this was a wise decision when considering the wide scope "Thor: Ragnarok" covered in combining multiple stories. The film of course mainly focuses on Ragnarok, and has to introduce the demon Surtur, goddes of death Hela, and Skurge the Executioner, who is much more reluctant than his typical villainous comic nature. With the "Planet Hulk" storyline, the writers also had to bring in characters like the Grandmaster and Valkyrie, and tie everything together. With so many characters and a large story going on, bringing in Bill as well could have served to only bloat the film. There is potential for him to arrive in a future installment however, and I for one couldn't be more excited to see him hit the big screen. In the Craveonline interview, Feige said that part of his thinking was if you can't do something justice, save it for later, suggesting plans to bring in Bill later down the road. Thor's current situation would be a good way to tie Bill into the storyline, as Thor lost Mjolnir when Hela stopped it mid-air and shattered it. With Thor facing a sort of identity crisis for many parts of the movie without his hammer, he might go on a journey to have it recreated. If so, it would be a good time for him to encounter Bill, who could have Stormbreaker crafted at the same time. A possible clue to a Bill introduction was given during "Guardians of the Galaxy," when the Guardians visit the Collector. While the Collector has cages filled with all sorts of species from across the universe, many fans took notice of one in the background that seemed to house a Korbinite. In "Thor: Ragnarok's" mid-credits scene, an enormous ship looms over Thor's with some theorizing it to be Bill's 'Skuttlebutt," but more stating it to be Thanos finally on the move. With the timing of just having come from Planet Hulk, where Bill fought as a champion, it's not outside the realm of possibility that Bill is onboard Thanos' ship for some reason, or that he will arrive and save Thor from the titan. Whether Beta Ray Bill arrives soon or not, "Thor: Ragnarok" has worked effectively as a film on its own as well as setting up future events and hyping possible inclusions.
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AuthorI love the entertainment side of things. Video games, tv shows, superheroes and movies are my passion and I'd love to get the news out for things I enjoy. My contact page has links to my social media, so if you enjoy what I have to say, likes, shares, comments, and follows are always greatly appreciated! Archives
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