Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie has quickly become a favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe hero among fans. The character got a badass and hilarious introduction in Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok, and while her big screen journey has really only just begun, it’s been brilliant to see her go from being a drunk, washed up warrior to becoming the king of New Asgard. There is a lot to love about her, and appreciation will surely only grow with her role in the upcoming Thor: Love And Thunder, but there is an interesting question about her that still lingers: what is her actual name?
That information has not yet been revealed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there is an answer, according to Tessa Thompson… and she just isn’t quite ready to reveal to the world what it is.
This interesting tease was mined this weekend during the Los Angeles press day for Thor: Love And Thunder, where I had the opportunity to sit down with Tessa Thompson and discuss her latest performance as Valkyrie. I opened the interview asking if she knew what her character’s real name is (or if she even has one), and she gave a fascinating response:
You know, that's an interesting question, which I don't know... This is the thing: I can be bad at spoilers. I give spoilers sometimes and I don't mean to, and so I feel like I'm going to withhold that information. But I think that fans might think that we don't have an answer, and there is one. And it's cool.
For those who aren’t totally up on their Norse mythology, “valkyrie” isn’t a word that is typically used to describe an individual, but instead a member of a specific group – namely mystical women who visit deceased Nordic soldiers who have died in battle and escort them to either Fólkvangr or Valhalla (two different versions of the afterlife). When the character known as Valkyrie was introduced in the pages of Marvel Comics by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, she was featured as a member of a warrior group caked the Valkyrior, and given the Asgardian name Brunnhilde.
Based on this information, one might make the assumption that Brunnhilde is the actual name of Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe… but it seems that this is one of those situations where one might dust off the old chestnut, “You know what they say about assuming.” We should know at this point that not everything from the comics stays canon. It’s not impossible that Valkyrie’s name in the MCU is Brunnhilde, but the actor playing the character is certainly not willing to commit to that, and it sounds like the real answer to the mystery might be more complicated than we think.
While we wait for the big revelation about the character’s name (perhaps something that can be explored in a solo film?), fans can appreciate the badass and powerful King Valkyrie by counting down the days until her big screen return – which is coming up very soon. Starring as part of a brilliant ensemble of Marvel heroes that also includes Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Taika Waititi, and Russell Crowe, Tessa Thompson is back in Thor: Love And Thunder, which is less than two weeks away from arriving in theaters. The blockbuster already been earning some terrific buzz following its premiere last week, and it will be screening everywhere on July 8.
For more about everything on the horizon from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, be sure to check out both our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV guides.
