Thor 4 Theory: Age Of Ultron May Have Set Up A Love & Thunder Villain

Avengers: Age of Ultron could have secretly set up a villain for Thor: Love and Thunder: Karnilla, one of the Norns and a frequent collaborator with Loki. Every Marvel movie is packed with Easter eggs; some are introduced just for fun, whereas others help to prepare viewers for the future. Sometimes they backfire; the Infinity Gauntlet in the first Thor movie became the MCU’s biggest plot hole. Other times, though, they pay off in spades.

Marvel’s Phase 4 slate kicks off this year, and one of the most exciting titles is Thor: Love and Thunder. This reunites Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, and director Taika Waititi, plus features the return of Natalie Portman as Jane Foster. This time round, Jane won’t just be a love interest; she’s going to prove herself worthy to wield Mjolnir, and thus become the Goddess of Thunder. This impending blockbuster means that every Asgardian element in the MCU needs to be reassessed — in case it proves to be a hint of the future. Surprisingly, an important part of Avengers: Age of Ultron may actually help up set it up.

Avengers: Age of Ultron saw a troubled Thor begin to suspect that someone was manipulating the Avengers. He sought clarity by heading to the Norn Cave, a mysterious cavern containing a pool called the Water of Sight. Thor immersed himself in this pool in order to communicate with the Norns, prophetic spirits who transcend time and space. According to Thor, the Norn Cave exists in every one of the Nine Realms, a reflection of the true location — which is presumably on Nornheim. The Norn Cave was revisited in Brandon T. Snider’s MCU novel The Cosmic Quest Volume II: Aftermath, which revealed that its location on Earth is near Tønsberg in Norway.

In Norse mythology, the Norns are the equivalent of the Greek Fates, female beings who rule the destinies of men and sometimes even of the gods. Marvel Comics has played the idea straight, introducing them as a race of mystical beings; although they tend to be allies of Asgard, there is one prominent exception, Karnilla. She is an ambiguous being, frequently an enemy of Asgard, and she’s often worked with Loki. It is Karnilla who gifted Loki with the enchanted Norn Stones, powerful magical artifacts that he was able to use against Thor on several occasions. Mackenzi Lee’s novel Loki: Where Mischief Lies revealed a little of Karnilla’s backstory. According to that book, Karnilla was responsible for training another of Thor’s most famous enemies: Amora the Enchantress, a powerful sorceress who has plagued the Thunder God over the years.

It wouldn’t be hard to integrate both Karnilla and the Enchantress into the MCU. Avengers: Age of Ultron set up the Norn Cave, and Avengers: Endgame saw the Asgardian refugees establish New Asgard at Tønsberg in Norway — close to the Water of Sight. Meanwhile, in thematic terms, Karnilla and the Enchantress would be a perfect fit for a movie called Love and Thunder. The Enchantress possesses a magic that makes men fall in love with her, a power that matches with the title. Meanwhile, although Karnilla is typically an enemy of Asgard, she has actually helped the Realm Eternal on many occasions as well, because she fell in love with an Asgardian warrior. Marvel could easily choose to take the same approach, with Karnilla beginning as an enemy, but ultimately switching sides and helping the Thunder Gods against Amora.

About The Author

Thomas Bacon
(4897 Articles Published)

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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