Thor 4 may feature a surprise cameo from one dead character

Thor: Love and Thunder could feature a surprising resurrection.

The highly-anticipated Marvel sequel features one of the biggest casts of any solo MCU film, with returning members of the Thor franchise starring in it alongside actors from the Guardians of the Galaxy films. But just in case the sequel’s cast didn’t already seem impressive enough, it’s also set to include more celebrity cameos than any Marvel Studios film to date.

With that said, it’s looking increasingly likely Love and Thunder will see Idris Elba reprise his role as Heimdall for the first time since 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War.

“Seemingly” Dead — During a recent interview with Comicbook.com about his role as Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad, Elba was asked if he had any kind of a future in the MCU after his Thor character was “seemingly” killed in the opening of Infinity War.

Elba responded by saying, “I think that I'm excited about the possibilities in the DC world. And I think the word of choice to make note of is the word 'seemingly.'"

The actor’s response is far from an official confirmation that Heimdall will be in Thor: Love and Thunder, but his suggestion that the character might not actually be dead — or too far gone to be brought back — does imply that Heimdall’s time in the MCU may not yet be up. This, notably, isn’t the first time there have been hints that Elba will be playing the character again either.

Heimdall’s Rumored Return — Earlier this year, Elba was spotted hanging out in Australia with Chris Hemsworth and several other Thor: Love and Thunder stars while production on the Marvel film was underway in that country. At the time, Elba was also in Australia shooting a new film from Mad Max filmmaker George Miller, but a photo of him with Hemsworth still led many to believe he’d appear as Heimdall in some capacity in the Thor sequel. Elba’s comments this week just add further weight to those rumors.

For what it’s worth, a return appearance from Heimdall in Thor: Love and Thunder fits in well with some of the greater speculation currently surrounding the plot of the film. Specifically, one rumor says Love and Thunder will see Thor (Chris Hemsworth) briefly arriving in Valhalla and running into some characters there who have died in previous MCU films. Assuming that ends up happening, Heimdall makes a lot of sense as one of the characters Thor would see in Valhalla.

Alternatively, Heimdall could be brought back to life at some point in the film. That’s something Marvel has already done for several of its other characters over the years, and it wouldn’t even be that surprising of a twist in a film that’s also set to repair Thor’s hammer.

The Inverse Analysis — As is always the case with these kinds of Marvel rumors, it’s worth pointing out that there’s no way to know for sure how accurate they are until the actual film or TV show in question is released. With that in mind, not only is it possible Elba will return as Heimdall in a future MCU title, but it seems like something the actor himself just teased could happen.

Whether or not that said project ends up being Thor: Love and Thunder remains to be seen, but it’s hard to think of an upcoming Marvel film more well-suited for Heimdall’s return.

Thor: Love and Thunder will be released in theaters on May 6, 2022.