Marvel Bringing Back Phase Three Villain With Drastically Different Look For New Project - Inside the Magic

Marvel is resurrecting this powerful villain!

There’s no question that Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brought some of the most engaging, intriguing, and fearsome villains to date in the franchise. From beginning to end, they were complex, powerful, and motivated, and put the heroes in each of the movies through their paces in order to stop them. Now one of those villains is returning, and it’s no doubt audiences can expect big things, judging by the new look!

Related: Marvel Regrets ‘Avengers’ Mistake, Reportedly Resurrects Iconic Villain

While there were many intimidating villains in Phase Three, there were only three that could claim the status of being nigh unto immortal and only three who really caused catastrophic devastation: Ego (Kurt Russell), Hela (Cate Blanchett), and Thanos (Josh Brolin). Each, in its own way, brought worlds, galaxies, and in one case, entire existence to its knees before the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe stepped in to set things right.

Ego (Russell), the villain of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), proved to be almost a match for Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and the other Guardians, but that wasn’t where his destructive prowess shone. Through the course of the film, audiences learned that Ego (Russell), in addition to being Quill’s (Pratt) father, had also sired thousands of children across the universe in order to expand his power, killing each of them when they failed to measure up. Had the Guardians not intervened, Ego (Russell) would have succeeded in absorbing the entire universe!

Of course, audiences are very familiar with Thanos (Brolin). The menacing ever-present danger that lurked in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the beginning was perhaps the only villain to ever achieve their goal, if only for a moment. Over the course of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), the Mad Titan snapped away half of all life and destroyed the infinity stones, prompting the Time Heist and the restoration of half of existence.

Then, of course, there was Hela (Blanchett). The goddess of death and Odin’s (Anthony Hopkins) firstborn, Hela (Blanchett), proved to be almost unstoppable. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) older sister smashed Mjolnir, laid waste to Asgard, and may well have come off conqueror of the entire universe had she not been stopped by the entire destruction of Asgard itself. Marvel is now bringing Hela (Blanchett) back in their new season of What If…?

While the return of such an epic villain might not come as a surprise, her new look just might. Twitter users, Distrackers posted a new piece of merchandise from Funko featuring an image of Hela (Blanchett) in a vastly different costume:

@DisTrackers tweeted:

First look at Hela – What If…? Soda!
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Credit Reddit u/Godsperfectidixt
#Marvel #WhatIf #Funko #FunkoPop #FunkoPopVinyl #Pop #PopVinyl #Collectibles #Collectible #DisTrackers

First look at Hela – What If…? Soda!
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Credit Reddit u/Godsperfectidixt#Marvel #WhatIf #Funko #FunkoPop #FunkoPopVinyl #Pop #PopVinyl #Collectibles #Collectible #DisTrackers pic.twitter.com/iUevqKlbF8

— DisTrackers (@DisTrackers) March 5, 2023

This confirms not only Hela’s (Blanchett) return but also a vastly different look for the character! Already, fans have been speculating that her new look may have something to do with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), or perhaps this is a version of Hela (Blanchett) which was never banished by Odin (Hopkins). Did they go on to continue conquering? Did they get all of the Infinity Stones and rule the Nine Realms?

Related: Marvel Writer Received Hate Mail Over ‘What If…?’

As of yet, there is no release date beyond “Early 2023” listed for Season 2 of What If…?, but when it does release, fans will be able to catch it on Disney+. The series, when released, promises a fascinating deep-dive into alternate histories of Marvel characters, with many actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe reprising their roles, alongside some new talent. What will happen? Who can tell until the series hits Disney+?

What do you think of her new look? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!