This year’s comic-con was a blast! We got announcements for Thor: Love and Thunder and Natalie Portman’s return to the MCU (as the Mighty Thor no less)! Tessa Thompson, who plays Valkyrie, also dropped hints that the king of Asgard will be on the lookout for her Queen! This is a huge deal, considering Valkyrie is now the first openly-gay superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
There are plenty of old and new characters who could add depth to a role like this. While obvious choices would be someone like Carol Danvers, there are dozens of powerful female characters who have yet to be introduced to the live-action universe, and who’d be perfect for a role alongside, or opposite, a warrior-king like Valkyrie.
10 Phyla-Vell
Dr. Wendy Lawson, played by Annette Bening in Captain Marvel, is a Kree from the “Vell” family. Also known as Mar-vell, it’s unknown if she was the only member of her bloodline on Earth. In the comics, the Vell clan includes characters like Phyla-vell; a powerful Kree being who is extremely intelligent, has super strength, and can both absorb and reflect massive amounts of energy.
Now that Spider-Man: Far From Home has confirmed the existence of Kree sleeper cells on Earth, it may only be a matter of time before we’re introduced to more members of their species. Could one of them be Phyla-vell, and if so, would she meet up with Valkyrie at some point?
9 Captain Marvel
Rumors regarding Carol Danvers’ sexuality date back to 2012, when the character was redesigned by Kelly Sue DeConnick for a more modern age. Although unverified, Brie Larson’s live-action Captain Marvel was meant to be the first openly gay character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Studios decided to withhold that reveal, passing the honor to Valkyrie instead.
Hence, fans have been “shipping” Captain Marvel and Valkyrie ever since. Carol Danvers may not want to be the queen of New Asgard, but that doesn’t mean these two can’t form the most powerful romantic alliance in the universe.
8 Angela
Angela is relatively new to Marvel Comics canon, but her history is long and complicated. In fact, a lot of Thor: Ragnarok’s Hela was based on Angela’s origins. She was born Aldrif Odinsdottir, first child of Odin and Freya. During the war between Asgard and Heven, Angela was kidnapped and seemingly killed by the Queen and Angels of the now-severed Tenth Realm.
Eventually, Angela would bump into the Guardians of the Galaxy, joining them on many adventures through the cosmos. Since Thor is riding with the Guardians in the MCU, it would be the perfect time to introduce Angela to the live-action cinematic universe.
7 Monica Rambeau (Spectrum)
Most people aren’t familiar with Spectrum. She’s one of the most powerful characters to grace the pages of a comic book. The best part is, we’ve already met her. Spectrum’s real name is Monica Rambeau, aka Captain Trouble herself!
She was only a kid in Captain Marvel, but her character will be played by Teyonah Parris in the upcoming WandaVision series on Disney+. As her name implies, Rambeau is able to transform into any form of energy within the electromagnetic spectrum. She’s basically power personified; a human laser traveling at warp speed right into her enemies.
6 Lorelei
Technically, Lorelei has already made her debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even though it was made clear that Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D exists in an adjacent reality. In short, the TV show has no effect on Marvel’s cinematic events.
Lorelei may be a villain and an enemy to Asgard, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be a compelling character opposite Valkyrie in Thor: Love and Thunder. She’s a magic-wielding seductress, capable of all manner of trickery… so, who’s to say she won’t play her way to Asgard’s throne, much like Loki did before?
5 Quasar (Avril Kincaid)
Like Valkyrie, the queen of New Asgard needs to be strong and full of conviction. Being (almost) immortal helps, too. Cue Avril Kincaid, also known as the new Quasar. She possesses the power of flight, teleportation, and cosmic awareness. She can also make her enemies see things that aren’t there, as well as construct objects using quantum energy.
In short, she’s powerful enough to rule a kingdom. In the comics, Avril ran missions with S.H.I.E.L.D for a while. In fact, she once used her powers to detect remaining Chitauri on Earth. This helped Carol Danvers, Maria Hill, and Captain America track and stop them before they could do any more damage.
4 Namora
Think of her as the female Namor. Or a lady Aquaman. While it’s more likely for Atlanteans to wage war with Wakanda in the comics, there’s no reason why Namora can’t pay Valkyrie a visit in New Asgard to spark a connection. Heck, New Asgard is basically built by the sea, so it’s not like Namora would even have to travel far.
With fans already calling Okoye’s “earthquake report" in Avengers: Endgame a nod towards secret aquatic cities and the rise of Namor the Submariner, a mythical queen coming ashore to greet another mythical queen seems perfectly natural at this point.
3 America Chavez
America Chavez, or Miss America, is one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel universe. She hasn’t been introduced in the MCU yet, but her close ties with Captain Marvel and the multiverse makes her an ideal candidate for a Young Avengers lineup. America’s powers are unprecedented. She possesses superhuman strength, can travel at the speed of light, and she can also project a large star-like energy blast when under extreme pressure.
What makes America Chavez really special is her ability to punch holes in reality itself! That’s right, America can literally punch her way through the multiverse. Something tells us Valkyrie would find that pretty cool. Oh, and America also happens to be a lesbian.
2 Hildegarde
While she’s called “Valkyrie” in her cinematic iteration, the role played by Tessa Thompson is actually based on a character named Brunnhilde in the comics. She comes from a long line of fierce warriors called the Valkyrie - guardians of Asgard. As such, there are other powerful Valkyries across the Nine Realms. One of those warriors is Hildegarde.
Often one of the first in line to assist Odin on the toughest of missions, Hildegarde possesses incredible strength and skill on the battlefield. Maybe the only person fitting of an Asgardian throne is someone who has put her life on the line more than once for the safety of her beloved homeworld.
1 Lady Sif
Lady Sif is a criminally underutilized character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Her guest arc on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D doesn’t count. Good news is, Lady Sif is alive and well somewhere in the cosmos. She hasn’t been seen since Thor: The Dark World which means she wasn’t killed by Hela in Thor: Ragnarok.
She definitely survived the slaughter by Thanos thereafter. Once a proud member of Thor’s brigade of warriors, Sif was written off screen and has yet to make a comeback. If there’s one way to give the character her due, it’s by pairing Sif with Valkyrie as Asgardian royalty. Make it happen, Marvel Studios!