As one of the few main female antagonists in a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, Cate Blanchett will be leaving quite an impression as Hela later this year in Thor: Ragnarok. When the God of Thunder returns to the big screen later this year, he and his allies will work together to stop Hela from unleashing the apocalyptic Ragnarok event, making her perhaps the most dangerous villain of the Thor series ever. Like her comic book counterpart, Blanchett's Hela is a powerhouse, but for her cinematic appearance, she's been given the special ability to create weapons directly from herself. Blanchett explained:
She's able to manifest weapons. Her headdress can be weapons. She can manifest weapons out of different parts of her body. I won't tell you which --- I'll leave that hanging.
Cate Blanchett provided this intriguing, if somewhat vague, tidbit of information to EW while discussing her time playing Hela in Thor: Ragnarok. While the Hela from the comic books boasts a number of incredible powers, manifesting weapons from her body and headdress is not one of them. Much like Loki's illusion-casting, Hela's weapons are likely conjured from Asgardian magic, though you'd be wise not to assume that she won't have other tools in her arsenal. This power is also an interesting way to make the character's headdress more than just a decoration. Be on the lookout for Hela manifesting these unusual weapons whenever the first Thor: Ragnarok trailer is released.
Like the Hela from the Marvel comics universe, the MCU's Hela is the Asgardian goddess of death, ruling over the realms Hel and Niffelheim. At the start of Thor: Ragnarok, she'll still be trapped in the prison she's been confined in for who knows how long, but after being accidentally freed thanks to Loki's ineptitude at governing, she'll take Asgard from the God of Mischief, who's been disguised as Odin since the end of Thor: The Dark World. As Cate Blanchett said in a separate EW piece:
She's been locked away for millennia getting more and more cross, and then, with a mistake, she gets unleashed and she ain't getting back in that box.
Thor's initial encounter with Hela will result in him being banished to the planet Sakaar, where he'll be forced to battle The Hulk in a gladiator ring overseen by Jeff Goldblum's Grandmaster. After those two (and hopefully Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie) escape, they'll have to join forces to stop Hela and the other Thor: Ragnarok villains, like Skurge and Surtur, to prevent Ragnarok from happening. The story will also see Thor attempting to track down his father, Odin, which will require the help of Doctor Stephen Strange, as revealed in the Doctor Strange mid-credits scene.
You can see Cate Blanchett wreak havoc as Hela when Thor: Ragnarok is released on November 3.
