The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) seems to be unfinished yet with Tilda Swinton's The Ancient One and Cate Blanchett's Hela. Both characters have presumably died in "Doctor Strange" and "Thor: Ragnarok," respectively, but they may just pop up again in the upcoming "Avengers: Infinity War" if Mark Ruffalo's recent comments are any indication.
In an interview on the "I am Rapaport" podcast with Michael Rapaport, the Hulk actor was asked to name some of the stars he has recently worked with who had left the best impression, and among his suggestions were Swinton and Blanchett whom he said he had "just worked with." While it is possible that Ruffalo was referring to working with the latter on "Thor: Ragnarok," there seems to be no other projects that can qualify as recent than the two "Avengers" installment Marvel has filmed back-to-back.
Of the two characters, Comic Book opines Hela's return would be more logical. Although she went up in flames along with Asgard at the end of "Thor: Ragnarok," her fate was not definitively revealed in the film. In the comics, however, the Goddess of Death earned another chance in life when she was restored by Thor alongside the rest of the Asgardians as he built Asgard in Oklahoma.
The Ancient One's resurrection, on the other hand, looks a little far-fetched. In "Doctor Strange," Swinton's character is introduced as an ageless being who has been alive for centuries, acting as Sorcerer Supreme of Earth. After a brutal fight with the villain Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) in the film, she has accepted death and passed away for good. If the Ancient One does appear in "Infinity War," the publication states that the most plausible way would be a flashback.
Previous casting calls and set photos suggested "Infinity War" will feature some scenes from the past. In this case, seeing The Ancient One again would make sense, especially because she was the primary caretaker of the Time Stone for many years.
"Infinity War" directors Joe and Anthony have teased they will feature a plethora of surprise characters in the movie, so pretty much anyone who has appeared in the MCU in the past has a chance to show up when the Avengers fight Thanos (Josh Brolin). Then again, Ruffalo's comment is by no means any confirmation, so fans should still take this with a grain of salt.
"Avengers: Infinity War" will officially open in cinemas on May 4, 2018.
