During their SDCC presentation this year, Marvel Studios confirmed that Surtur will be appearing in Thor: Ragnarok. This, of course, wasn’t entirely surprising given the character’s part in Ragnarok in the comics, however, it was the first time we’d heard any concrete information regarding his involvement in the upcoming film. So for today’s Meet & Greet, we decided to turn our focus to the towering demon and what we can possibly expect as he makes his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in the third Thor film.
Surtur is a 1,000-plus foot demon made of fire and possessing immense power whose existence predates the creation of Earth. Older and more powerful than even Odin, Surtur is the feared enemy of Asgard and it is Surtur, wielding his giant flame sword, who is destined to attack Asgard and bring about Ragnarok which will lead to the death and rebirth of the world following a great and terrible war that will cost most of the Asgardians their lives.
Surtur is the lord of Muspelheim, the realm of fire (similar, conceptually, to the Christian version of hell, though the Norse have their own version which is a different realm). He, and the fire demons over which he holds dominion, are pure evil and, over the years, have entered into all sorts of mischief and engaged in partnerships with other enemies of Asgard (Loki and Malekith, the Accursed to name two). Though his power is indefinite he has been defeated by Odin in the past, including, and most famously, a time when he was imprisoned by the All-father in the core of Earth only to be freed by Loki. Surtur has attacked Earth as well, in order to draw the attention of Asgard away from their own realm and has defeated both Odin and Thor in battle in the past, once being responsible for the apparent death of Odin.
Having first appeared in the pages of Journey Into Mystery in 1963, Surtur is a classic Jack Kirby monster who has undergone some changes over the years, as all characters have, but has remained a massive demon and one of Asgard’s most ancient and feared foes. Though we know that Cate Blanchett‘s Hela is poised to be the main villain in Thor: Ragnarok, it’s reassuring to know that the creative team behind the film is going to include the classic Norse fire demon along with some other mythological beasts from the Eddas and Sagas including, if the concept art makes it to film, the Fenris Wolf, a giant wolf that, in the comics, is destined to devour the Allfather!
Including Surtur in Thor: Ragnarok seems to cement the fact that director Taika Waititi is heading down the path that many fans have longed for in the Thor franchise. If the inclusion of the fire giant is any indication, we may be set to see a fantasy epic that would make longtime Thor writer Walter Simonson proud and many of Jack Kirby‘s magnificent monsters finally make a proper entrance into the MCU!
