If there's one thing that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has proved time and time again in its movies and television shows, it's that death isn't necessarily the end of the road for its characters, as was the case for characters like Agent Coulson and Loki.
Hela has only appeared in one MCU movie, Thor: Ragnarok, and though the story ended with her apparent demise, she could appear again in a number of ways, whether through some godly trickery or via the existence of the recently established multiverse, to cause further chaos for her Asgardian foes or bring some comic book lore to the big screen.
Asgardian History
Hela's backstory in Thor: Ragnarok revealed that before Thor and Loki were born, she and Odin mercilessly conquered worlds together, granting them the wealth to establish Asgard as a plentiful empire.
Hela's exploits — and her subsequent battle against the Valkyries once Odin turned against her — were briefly mentioned, but the millennia of experiences she had in a position of power could not be fully explored in the movie. A Hela-centered prequel could be a way for the MCU to fill in the blanks from this interesting part of Asgard's history, showcasing her abilities alongside a more ruthless version of Odin.
Loki Variant
There's been much debate about who is the worst sibling to Thor in the MCU between Loki and Hela, but in the comics, Thor's siblings have an entirely different relationship. In fact, in the comics, they're not siblings at all, and instead, Hela is Loki's daughter.
Though this storyline couldn't be explored in the main continuity of the MCU, there's still a possibility for it to come about through the Disney+. Here, Hela could be a Loki variant and daughter to an alternate version of the trickster, a move which would allow Marvel to cast another actress as Hela if need be, while also showing Loki in the unexpected yet entertaining new position of fatherhood.
Creating Infinity
One of Hela's many schemes in Marvel Comics had her steal a piece of Odin's power while the king was in his deep slumber, a move which led to the awakening of a corrupted aspect of the cosmically powerful being Infinity.
Hela set this corrupted being loose on the universe, and Infinity would have destroyed it all were it not for Thor interceding. Infinity is one of several abstract characters in Marvel comics, and Hela's machinations (either in a flashback or in an alternative MCU universe) could bring them to the screen as a new limitless source of power for any number of heroes to come up against.
Thanos Connection
As the MCU focused on his connection to the Infinity Stones, there are a number of things that What If...? series.
The story sees a weakened Hela secretly align herself with Thanos, and later reveal her identity to him in a grand display of her power, before asking him for help to reclaim her dominion over Hel. In exchange, she promises to grant him that which he most desires, and the two share a kiss. As the character Death (whom Thanos is infatuated with) is absent from the MCU, this story could put Hela in her place and could be an excellent showcase of the pair's combined powers.
Recurring Foe
When it comes to villains, the MCU largely differs from Marvel comics in their decision to favor one-off enemies rather than recurring ones.
In the instances where they have used returning foes like Loki and Thanos, though, it's largely been to positive , as audiences get to know the villains in the same way that they know the heroes, becoming more invested in their ongoing feuds. As a recurring antagonist to Thor in the comics, Hela has the potential to fill the same role in the MCU even after her supposed death in Thor: Ragnarok, where her power over the dead could well extend to preserving her own life.
The Afterlife
Hela is the ruler of Asgard's afterlife, Hel, and she's shown to command legions of fallen warriors in the MCU, but there's more about her connection to the realm that's gone unsaid.
In the comics, Hela made a deal with Death that she would be able to claim the souls of Asgardians, and those who worshipped the Asgardians in any way. Additionally, she controls the dead not only in Hel but in the wider plane of Niflheim, though she cannot influence those in Valhalla. As Thor's MCU story will continue in Thor: Love and Thunder and beyond, there is an opportunity for the consequences of Hela's post-life control to be explored, particularly seeing as Thor has lost many friends throughout his journey, and Hela's presence in his ongoing story would show her lasting influence.
Gorr The God Butcher
Gorr the God Butcher is set to be the main villain of Love and Thunder, taking on not only Thor Odinson but also Jane Foster's Thor and Valkyrie.
Given Gorr's disdain for the Asgardian gods and all forms of divinity, Hela would be a natural enemy of the villain, and if she were shown to have survived the events of Ragnarok, a powerful introduction to Gorr's might could see him hunting her down and retrieving her Necroswords, a weapon that he also uses, to kickstart his path of vengeance.
