20 Biggest Wasted Opportunities In The MCU
16. The Nine Realms
Throughout the first three Thor movies, the Nine Realms are spoken of and seen as the centre of the universe, a branch of worlds with vastly different cultures and people that are each protected from outside calamities by Thor's world, Asgard.
We see many of these realms throughout the film, most notably Asgard itself and Midgard (that's Earth, to me and you), but also Jotunheim, the land of the Frost Giants, and Svartalheim, a world inhabited by the Dark Elves.
Despite the topsy-turvy quality of the Thor movies, the lore surrounding the Nine Realms is quite compelling, especially as it posits Asgard as the de facto centre of them all. But after Thor: Ragnarok, in the wake of Asgard being reduced to ash by the fire demon Surtur, the Nine Realms have never been discussed again.
What happened to these richly diverse worlds and their people? Do Thor and his closest allies still protect them? It seems Marvel has swept these worlds under the rug for narrative convenience, and given the implications - that they've been left to fend for themselves, alone - that's a real shame.