Over the past week, it was rumored and then subsequently confirmed by Variety that Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk will be teaming up Chris Hemsworth’s Thor in Marvel’s upcoming Thor: Ragnarok. This has led to much speculation. What threat is so big that The God of Thunder would need The Green Goliath at his side to conquer? The Norse mythology Thor is based on contains several creatures that could give Thor and Hulk a run for their money and in this editorial, we take a look at 10 of those monsters who should appear in Ragnarok.
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Despite the films title most certainly referring to the Norse end of days event, there does exist a character by the name of Ragnarok in Marvel comics. A creation of Tony Stark during the “Civil War” event, Ragnarok is a cyborg clone of the real Thor and is famously known for killing Goliath during the same event.His power set pretty makes him a bizarro Thor and it would be great to see The Hulk and Thor fighting essentially another Thor. While his creation was referenced with a one-liner in Avengers: Age Of Ultron, it is highly unlikely that he would be one of the monsters to be encountered by the duo.
10. JORMUNGANDR
The Jormungandr, also known as the ‘Serpent of Midgard’ is Thor’s arch nemesis in Norse mythology. Jormungandr is also an integral part of the Ragnarok as he is set to be the final monster Thor has to defeat to save the world. With his ties to Midgard, it stands to reason why Hulk could be involved. Jormungandr is a big enough threat to warrant a team up of two of Marvel’s best. And to see them teaming up to fight this creature would make for great cinema.
9. FENRIR
While this beast has more ties to Odin and Loki in the Norse Ragnarok myth, it would certainly make for a great cinematic experience. It is a monstrous wolf that is prophesied to kill Odin. A being powerful enough to kill Odin would certainly be a great match for Thor and Hulk to go against. In the mythology, it is Loki’s son but that could easily be changed into a creation of the faux king of Asgard to go against Thor and Hulk when they discover his treachery.
8. FIRE JOTNAR
The Jotunn are the giants of Norse mythology. We have already encountered a race of them in the Frost Giants of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the set piece involving Thor and the Warriors Three fighting them is undoubtedly one of the best parts of the first Thor movie. Another variety of these creatures, the Fire Jotnar resides in Muspelheim ruled by the Fire Jotunn, Surtr. With the rumors of Hulk’s involvement in Thor: Ragnarok came the scoop that Thor and The Hulk will be venturing into a new realm which is neither Midgard nor Asgard. Muspelheim could be this realm with the fire Jotnar serving as the monstrous fodder Thor and The Hulk have to fight through.
7. GARMR
Another wolflike creature, Garmr guards the gates of Hel and has been associated with Ragnarok in Norse myth. Garmr’s howl is said to precede the coming of Ragnarok so depending on how close to the mythology Marvel adheres to, we might see a version of the monster in the film. It would serve a great opener to the film if a raging Hulk somehow finds himself at the gates of Hel, fights the monster and as it dies, lets out a final howl which will ring through all nine realms signaling the beginning of the end. The Thor films have done well in this department with all their openings used to set up the film with great action scenes and effects.
6. GULLINBURSTI
Gullinbursti is a fierce Boar created by Eitri and Brokkr as a gift to Freyr who is a figurehead in the Ragnarok myth. while this creature by itself would pose a minimal threat to Thor and Hulk, an army of Gullinbursti is certain to even the odds and make for a visually stunning battle.
5. NIDHOGGR
Nidhoggr is a dragon in Norse mythology that lives in the bottom of the World Tree (Yggdrasil) which connects all nine realms. Thor drew the world tree for Jane in the first film and it wouldn’t be far fetched for him and Hulk to have to go to the roots of Yggdrasil in their quest to end Ragnarok. The Nidhoggr has an appetite for dead flesh and chews on the dead bodies of those guilty of murder, adultery, and oath breaking. The visualization of its lair alone will be breathtaking if done right. And a fight to the death against a team of Thor and the Jade Giant will be a sight to behold.
4. FROST GIANTS
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Most fans agree that the sequences with the Frost Giants of Jotunnheim were among the best parts of the first Thor film. They were a great threat, looked insanely cool and had the best fight set piece in the film. The last time we saw them, Loki had attempted to destroy them and they will definitely be holding a grudge against Asgardians. Since the Jotunn are a big part of Ragnarok, it would make for a great fight if Thor and Hulk ran into these bunch during their adventure. It would be the first time since The Incredible Hulk where fans will get to see Hulk going toe to toe with another creature as big as himself and another chance to see Thor unleash the true devastating power of Mjolnir.
3. KRONANS
We saw Thor take out a Kronan in Thor: The Dark World. So this confirms the existence of that race in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Hulk has history with a Kronan named Korg in the Planet Hulk storyline and as nod to that (Marvel has said they have no plans of ever doing that story in live action), it would be great to see Thor and Hulk encounter a group of these rock monsters led by Korg himself for good measure. And this time, there should be a real fight that is absolutely nothing like one hit kill that we had in the previous film. Fans will forgive the plot hole if we get a real visually appealing slugfest.
2. GEIRROD
Here’s another monster who has ties to Loki. In Norse mythology, this giant captures Loki and in exchange for his freedom, Loki agrees to lead Thor into a trap where Geirrod can kill the god of Thunder. This could be another way to introduce the Hulk into Thor’s world. Loki, still masquerading as the All-Father could send Thor into this trap where he will to his surprise find Hulk being held captive by Geirrod. He could then free the Green Goliath and together they will defeat the monster. Regardless of how he is used in the story, Geirrod going against Thor and Hulk would be a great opener for their team up, not to mention the visual effects for this sequence, if done right, could be an amazing sight to see. It will also be a fight where we will see the Hulk able to cut loose and go berserk.
1. SURTUR
This one is almost a no-brainer is most likely going to happen. Surtur is the Fire Jotunn ruler of Muspelheim. In the comics, it is told that Loki will free Surtur and other enemies of Asgard to bring about Ragnarok, the end of days. He is over 1000ft in height, possess a magical giant flaming sword and his strength far surpasses that of Thor. Which will make the team up with Hulk a necessity to defeat Surtur. This is a fight sequence that should only be rivaled by the final showdown between the Avengers and Thanos.
Thor: Ragnarok is directed by Taika Waititi and stars Chris Hemsworth. The film will destroy theaters on November 3, 2017.
