How ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Connects With Christian Faith in Four Freaky Ways

Tessa Thompson in Thor: Ragnarok, photo courtesy Marvel and Disney

Valkyrie is Peter

When we first meet Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), she’s simply a scavenger—formidable to be sure, but someone without purpose. She drinks a lot and doesn’t seem to care about much of anyone at all.

We learn, however, that Valkyrie is scarred something fierce.

In the distant past, she wasn’t just Valkyrie, but a Valkyrie—part of an elite Asgardian fighting force tasked with defending the throne. But when Thor’s pop Odin banished Hela, it was up to the Valkyries to kick her out of the realm. They were successful, apparently, but not before most of the Valkyries were killed. That sent Ragnarok’s Valkyrie into something of a centuries-long tailspin, where she wound up in a galactic backwater just drinking and waiting to die.

It takes a mighty big push to help her embrace her true self and allegiance again. But eventually, she sees what she needs to do: Help her king, Thor, in his quest to vanquish Hela and save the people of Asgard.

The parallels are not exact, obviously, but there’s a lot in her story that reminds me of Peter, Jesus’ first disciple. No one was more zealous than Peter when Jesus was preaching and healing across the land. He bragged that he’d never desert Jesus (never!), and when Roman soldiers came to drag Jesus away, Peter drew his sword and cut off someone’s ear.

But once Jesus has been taken away, Peter’s strength deserts him. He does deny Jesus—not just once, but three times. And once the rooster crows at the sound of his third denial, just as Jesus said it would, Peter “went out and wept bitterly.” The man whom Jesus called the Rock on which his Church would be built melted away like mud.

But like Valkyrie, Peter gets his mojo back when he understands that his god and king is still very much alive, and Peter’s job isn’t done yet. He serves faithfully until, according to Christian teaching, he too was crucified—he upside down.