First there was "Captain America: Civil War" and the major spoiler about a pivotal character death that will shape Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And as if the heartbreak wasn't already for fans to take, Marvel went on to reveal that another character will be killed off in "Thor: Ragnarok."
In "Thor: Ragnarok," the God of Thunder will face off with goddess of death, Hela, played by Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett. According the Latino Review, Hela will attack Asgard. In an attempt to stop her, Thor squares off with Hela in a major battle, which consequently destroys Thor's Mjolnir. As Asgards falls to Hela and her forces, she murders Idris Elba's Heimdall, the realm's gatekeeper and Thor's friend.
Perhaps fans already saw this coming in "Avengers: Age of Ultron." Heimdall's rumored death matches the vision Thor had in the second "Avengers" movie. According to Comic Book, when Scarlet Witch put him under a spell, the God of Thunder was greeted by Heimdall in the Norse Underworld. Heimdall, referring to the people in the Underworld, says, "They see everything... They see you leading us to Hel."
Heimdall's death in the third "Thor" movie follows the concept in ancient Norse mythology about Ragnarok, which represents the death and resurrection of Norse gods. While his death will take place in the earlier part of the film, he will pop up in the climactic fight scene. Thor's battle with Hela will feature an army of the dead under her command, as well as dead Valkyries from Valhalla and souls of the righteous fallen, which includes Heimdall.
While many fans will be saddened to see Idris Elba leave the MCU, it might come as a relief to the actor. In a previous interview for "Thor: The Dark World," Elba compared the filming experience to torture, hinting that certain portions of filming weren't something he particularly enjoyed.
Certainly, the deaths in "Captain America: Civil War" and "Thor: Ragnarok" up the stakes for Marvel's Phase 3, particularly "Avengers: Infinity War."
"Thor: Ragnarok" will hit theaters on Nov. 3, 2017.
