Idris Elba's Heimdall long proved to be a staple of the Thor franchise as he served as the gatekeeper of Asgard, guardian of the Bifrost, and the best friend of Chris Hemsworth's hero. But that all came to an end with Avengers: Infinity War as Heimdall was killed by Thanos after he sent Hulk to Earth to warn the Avengers of the imminent threat.
So, it was to the surprise of most moviegoers when Heimdall appeared in Thor: Love and Thunder's post-credits scene to greet Jane Foster on her entrance to Valhalla. The shocking cameo followed the introduction of Heimdall's son, Axl, who led the children of Asgard after they were taken by Gorr the God Butcher.
Now, Elba has addressed the shocking scene and touched on what it could mean for his future in the MCU.
Heimdall Actor Teases His MCU Future Hopes
During a recent interview with Collider, Heimdall actor Idris Elba addressed Thor: Love and Thunder's post-credit scene that saw Natalie Portman's Jane Foster greeted by the Asgardian warrior at the gates of Valhalla after succumbing to her cancer.
Elba explained that most of Heimdall's "arsenal of gifts have been tapped into one way or another" throughout the MCU, but he also has an "an immortality around him" that hasn't been touched on yet but could be in the future:
“Pretty much his whole sort of like arsenal of gifts have been tapped into one way or another. He’s all-seeing, you know. But he’s quite a warrior. We’ve seen him as a warrior as well, and he has an immortality around him and that would be something that we haven’t really explored so that I think may be interesting. Hey, listen, you know, the Marvel world is ever-expanding. You just never know.”
After assisting Thor in his final battle with Gorr, Jane Foster succumbed to her battle with cancer in the third act of Thor: Love and Thunder, leading her to arrive in Valhalla in the post-credit scene. Foster suffered a similar fate in the comics but ultimately got a second chance at human life as she came back as a Valkyrie and wielded Undrjarn, the All-Weapon.
Will Idris Elba's Heimdall Return to the MCU?
With Jane Foster and Heimdall now living it up in Valhalla, both characters are certainly dead, but that doesn't mean they won't be seen again. After Foster lost her life in the comics that inspired Love and Thunder, she still managed to be resurrected and become Valkyrie, something the MCU may adapt in the coming years.
Elba's Heimdall likely won't receive the same treatment, unfortunately, but that doesn't mean he won't be seen again in Valhalla. Perhaps he may appear alongside Foster in the afterlife before her resurrection if that is indeed the direction the MCU is heading toward.
But with Elba teasing the immortality of Heimdall, maybe his death won't truly prove to be permanent, opening the doors to more future appearances. Then again, Heimdall's son Axl has now been introduced and even has access to many of his father's powers, so it's tough to imagine much of a purpose for Elba's Asgardian going forward.
But with no immediate return in sight for Thor or Jane Foster, the wait may be long before any of the MCU's Asgardian crew show up again, dead or alive. Only time will tell whether Thor 5 ever comes into existence, but if one thing's for certain, fans haven't seen the last of Chris Hemsworth in the MCU.
No matter what, Elba clearly has a bright future ahead of him in the comic book genre, whether that's at Marvel or DC. The British actor recently starred as Bloodsport in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad and will be back soon, read all about Elba's next "big" superhero project at DC here.
Thor: Love and Thunder is playing now in theaters worldwide.
