Is 'Thor 3' Getting New Female Superheroes?

If you're a big fan of comic books-turned-movies, you've likely noticed one glaring omission: female superheroes. I mean, sure, there are a few here and there, but compared to the guys, the ladies tend to take a back seat — pretty annoying, considering that women are just as badass and capable of saving the day, and including more of them in the big screen adaptations of classic comic books would not only inspire young female audience members, but boost ticket sales in that demographic, as well. Thankfully, it seems as though one franchise may be catching on, as it's been reported that Thor: Ragnarok may introduce two new female superheroes. I don't know about you, but that's the best news I've heard in a really long time.

According to Devon Faraci at Birth.Movies.Death, rumors have begun circulating that the third Thor installment may see Thor and the Hulk encounter the mythical Valkyries, which could definitely make way for the introduction of Brunnhilde the Valkyrie, as well as her arch enemy, the villain Enchantress. How much focus they'll have in the storyline — or whether or not they'll actually be introduced at all or this is just hearsay — remains to be seen, but it's certainly the perfect opportunity to widen the superhero circle and introduce some more amazing females characters.

I'm not entirely clear on how Valkyrie is being used - it could be in the group of Norse mythological beings who bring the gods to Valhalla after they die or it could be as the standalone superheroine. This part is a little muddled, and I'm trying to get further clarity from other sources - it's hard out there because all of my Marvel sources have clammed up after the regime change. All I know for sure is that Marvel thinks they're going to cast some great women in this movie.

While it's too early to tell whether Brunnhilde and Enchantress will make their proper entrance into the Marvel universe in Thor: Ragnarock, I'm hopeful and think it sounds like a wonderful idea for a number of reasons. While lack of diversity, both in terms of gender and race, has been a big issue in the fantasy genre, it's encouraging to think that Marvel could be ready to start confronting the lack thereof in their own projects and widen the scope a bit. There's every reason to believe this is in the cards, especially knowing that we've got New Zealand director Taika Waititi on board for Thor 3.

The movie won't hit theaters until November 2017, and we'll likely know long before then whether or not Valkyrie will come into play. Until then, keep your fingers crossed, because if Brunnhilde and Enchantress are on board, I think it's safe to say a lot more of us will be, as well.

Image: Marvel Studios