Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok did a lot of great things for the Marvel Cinematic Universe when it debuted back in November. Chief among these accomplishments was the introduction of Tessa Thompson's endlessly badass Valkyrie, a jaded and alcoholic (albeit still undeniably cool) hero who commanded the respect of Thor (Chris Hemsworth). The character evolved a bit over the course of Ragnarok's development, and a new design revealed by concept artist Ryan Meinerding has shown that she almost had another totally awesome look. Take a look at the art, below.
While it's not terribly different from the final version of Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie seen in Thor: Ragnarok in the sense that it's still clearly Valkyrie, it has enough unique qualities that make it worth noting. Specifically, the outfit has a much darker color palette, as well as a cape that drapes over one shoulder and a far more angular sensibility in how the straps and belts hang on her body. Also, her hair looks quite a bit different, as she sports an undercut on the side of her head and a braid that invokes the imagery of a female Viking warrior.
This tweet Ryan Meinerding sent out shines a light on the development process of a character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it also provides another mark on the roadmap of Valkyrie's journey to be seen in live action. Specifically, concept artist Andy Park recently released a similar piece of concept art created before Tessa Thompson had signed on as the badass Asgardian warrior. You can check out that even earlier piece of concept art below.
Building off of these two pieces of concept art, as well as the version of Valkyrie from the actual theatrical cut of Thor: Ragnarok, it will ultimately prove fascinating to see how this heroine develops in future films. Tessa Thompson seems to be enjoying herself in the role, and she has even led a charge to see an all-female Marvel movie (perhaps Marvel's answer to the DCEU's Gotham City Sirens?), so her continued presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe could naturally lead to cooler designs and looks for her character.
Now that Valkyrie has properly entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe, only time will tell how she will continue to evolve and grow with Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The MCU will continue with the release of Black Panther on February 16, and your favorite heroes will once again fight alongside one another when Avengers: Infinity War premieres in theaters on May 4. Here's everything that we currently know about Black Panther, and here's everything that we have on Infinity War.
