"Ragnarok" Could Mean Trouble For Thor

If you were wondering just how much trouble Thor is in and the idea of battling the Hulk (his former co-worker) didn't clue you in, then all you need to know is located right in the title of the newest movie in the character's franchise, Thor: Ragnarok. What does "ragnarok" mean, though, exactly? For those of you are a bit hazy on your Norse mythology, "Ragnarok" literally means "the doom of the gods," so yeah, nothing to get too worried about.

There's no question that Thor and his fellow Asgardians are in some way doomed in the Thor: Ragnarok trailer. At various points, you see Thor either facing off against main baddie Hela (played by a dark-haired, sometimes-antlered Cate Blanchett) and Thor's brother, Loki, looking like he's about to go into battle. While the Thor films have mostly stuck to the comics and drawn little inspiration from actual Norse mythology, it appears that Thor: Ragnarok will actually be drawing heavily on that subject. Those aforementioned trailer highlights appear to correspond significantly with the mythical story around Ragnarok and, in doing so, tell us a lot about what to expect from the third installment in the solo adventures of Thor.

In the mythological version of Ragnarok, Loki is actually one of the leaders of the group that ends the existence of the gods for good. He provokes war between the gods and various mythical creatures and is, in a way, responsible for the deaths of both Odin and Thor. While fans can safely gather that things will not get so grim for the Marvel versions of Thor and Loki, seeing the latter character suit up and lead what looked like an army in the trailer leaves me wondering whether or not he will yet again betray his brother in a revolt.

Loki's simmering desire for revenge (which has been in place since the first Thor installment) could be the reason Hela comes into the picture. As the ruler of Hel, the underworld, Hela possesses an immeasurable amount of power and perhaps a certain immunity to destruction that would make her a good ally in an apocalyptic situation. This fact, in combination with the meaning of "Ragnarok," definitely spells trouble for Thor in his next Marvel adventure.