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Thor : Ragnarokfeatures Idris Elba ’s Heimdall in his biggest MCU role yet , but even that does n’t switch the fact that the God of Thunder ’s solo movie series pine away one of the greatest talents working in Hollywood today . Elba first signed on to act the persona back in late 2009 , a few years removed from his breakout go inThe Wireand shortly after film the first time of year of the acclaimed BBC crime drama , Luther . He was n’t exactly an A - lister back then , but the part still seemed middling pocket-size for an up and come star like Elba . He later revealed that he settle to ink the four picture business deal after receiving a call from manager Kenneth Branagh , who was also cited as the main reasonNatalie Portman agreed to play Jane Foster . “This is a man that called me up personally and said , ' I know this is n’t a big role , but I would really love to see you playact it ' " , enunciate Elba . “It ’s Kenneth Branagh . I was like , ' Definitely . ‘“But still … Heimdallr ? ?
In the pages of Marvel Comics , Heimdall is the all - seeing and all - hearing Asgardian tasked with guard the Bifrost bridge circuit , the gateway between Asgard and the other eight known realms . All things considered , he ’s rarely been render as a lively character . He ’s Sif ’s brother ( that scrap was n’t translated into the MCU ) , he was once temporarily granted the Odinpower in edict to harness over Asgard , and he once was seen using his near - omniscience to track down the scatter souls of Asgardians on Earth following a especially annihilative Ragnarok cycle . Other than that , aboveboard , there ’s just not a infernal region of a lot to the guy .
Related:Despite Ragnarok, Thor Is The Weakest Marvel Trilogy
Heimdall was never a fictional character that ever had much of a shot of being any more than what he in the end became in the Thor serial : a junior-grade character that would always be left in the dust while the titular Heron was off save up the day . But Marvel ’s never had any problems make modification to the source fabric while bringing their comic to the liberal screen . They ’ve surely beefed up characters ' role free-base on audience response before , and if there ’s an actor on their roster who is deserving of a beefed up role , it ’s Elba .
“This is torture, man”
For reference point : here ’s a speedy refresher of Heimdall ’s action in theThortrilogy : he have in a handful of scenes in each of the first two films , before being granted an lucubrate role inRagnarok(albeit one that has him doing the bulk of his actions offscreen ) . During those first two outings , Heimdall betrays the realm onthreeseparate occasionsby allowing people through the Bifrost when his king had expressly ordered him not to . And despite his penny-pinching - omniscience , duringThe Dark World , a Dark Elf invasion of Asgard pass right under his olfactory organ . He does manage to keep hundred of the realm ’s citizen during Hela ’s takeover inRagnarok , but overall , not only does Heimdall have a pocket-size part to play in all three films , but he ’s not even depicted as being particularly good at his job .
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temperate expansions in the role over the track of the trilogy reflect that Marvel was clearlytryingto piece of work Heimdall in more , specially after Idris Elba ’s whiz power develop and he became a menage name . But the actor was still understandably foiled with his limited role , and he was n’t unsure about sharing these frustration in an interview withThe Telegraphback in 2014 . After venting about being coerce to do a cameo forAvengers : Age of Ultron , Elba gotsupercandid about just how much he was enjoying his time as Heimdall :
It was really unearthly . I ’d just done eight month in South Africa . I came to England and the day I come back I had to do reshoots on Thor 2 . And in the existent scene my hair was different , my … I was like , This is anguish , man . I do n’t want to do this . ' My agent state : You have to , it ’s part of the deal . ‘[In the scene ] I ’m really falling down from a spaceship , so they had to put me in harness in this dark-green - screen studio apartment . And in between takes I was cling there , fake hair mystify on to my headland with glue , this fu * * * * * helmet , while they reset . And I ’m thinking : 24 hr ago , I was Mandela ' … Then there I was , in this stupid harness , with this wig and this blade and these contact lenses . It pull my heart out .
And somehow , folks , it gets worse .
Seeing a truly talented actor being contractually obligated to return to a nothing office is n’t much merriment . And in the years since agreeing to trifle Heimdall , Idris Elba ’s starpower had shoot up in a major manner . Thanks to brilliant turns in films likeMandela : Long Walk to FreedomandBeasts of No Nation , he ’s become one of the most seek - after actors in Hollywood . The fact that hehasto keep coming back , along with the knowledge that he could be doing virtually anything else he want in the industriousness – all that is uncollectible enough . But here ’s the worst part : Elba stillwantsto play a legit superhero , even now .
Speaking last calendar month withEW , the player once again put forward eyebrows with his candor :
I like that I have a fiddling part in Thor . I ’m neither movie maven or day player . It allows me to do other things I love . The last one [ Ragnarok ] was fun . The others were n’t fun . They ’re oeuvre . But on this one , Taika [ Waititi , the theater director ] was dandy . I wish I was more present in the Marvel family . I care what I have , but I also bid that I had a larger theatrical role in the Marvel cosmos ¦ It ’s been great , but I kinda mean I require a mo more . I want to be a superhero . I like the musical theme of that .
It ’s actually a morsel of a shock to determine that Elba has n’t fallen out of love with the musical theme of being a superhero , especially considering how negatively he see most of his Marvel experience . If he were to jump ship to DC of track , there ’s a knockout purpose or two wait for him ( okay , yeah , knowinghow awful he would be as Green Lantern John Stewartmightactuallybe the worst part of this whole mess ) . But as far as we know , Elba still has one more film provide on his contract bridge , since it ’s ill-defined whether or not hisAge of Ultroncameo count . So what can be done with Heimdall travel frontward in the MCU ?
Saving Heimdall
rent ’s cut mighty to it : Marvel has three realistic options for Heimdall if they want to actually utilize Elba ’s gift . 1 ) Give him anactuallybeefed up role , one that sees him appear in more than five or six scenes . The Warrior ’s Three are gone , the Hulk ’s going to require to go off and do his own thing , andSif is MIA ; Thor and Valkyrie need real ally . 2 ) Make Heimdall the principal adversary of the(still unconfirmed)Thor 4 ; it could make for a compelling chronicle , and Elba is well - know as an excellent baddie role player . 3 ) Kill him off early on on in the next expedition or just let the characterfade into the scope like Lady Sif or Jane Foster ; basically , # freeIdris and permit him go do something else . Whether that signify he signs on with Fox or DC , or he gets out of the superhero game altogether , we ’ll deal with it – just please do n’t make him weary that stupid helmet again .
Next:Valkyrie Should Lead The Thor Franchise in Marvel Phase 4
