‘Thor Love and Thunder‘ introduces Heimdall’s son, Astrid, who goes by the name Axl. While the all-seeing guardian of the Bifrost doesn’t have a son by that name in the Marvel comics, this seems to be another liberty director Taika Waititi has taken. 

In the film, Axl acts as the de-facto leader of the kidnapped Asgardian children and remains in contact with Thor, relaying their location. He does this using powers akin to his father’s. Heimdall’s son has superior sight and hearing, and the former guardian of the Bifrost could hone his abilities to detect anything going on in the nine realms. Axl also reaches the sight to contact Thor, eventually leading them to the Shadow Realm where Gorr the God Butcher’s been holding them captive. 

The similarities don’t end there. Axl is proficient in battle, helping Thor defeat the shadow creatures with the group of kidnapped Asgardian children. When Thor throws Stormbreaker to him, Axl immediately makes an escape using the Bifrost. 

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His act of protecting the other kids is similar to Heimdall’s role in Waititi’s ‘Thor: Ragnarok’. There, Thor’s friend had to keep Asgardians away from Hela’s eyes while trying and tell the God of Thunder about their situation. He has been part of earlier adventures as well, including the time when Thor was disgraced and sent to earth. Heimdall was the one who kept an eye on the Asgardian. However, the character’s arc comes to an end when Thanos attacks their spacecraft. 

Now, with Axl in the story, Thor could have Heimdall’s son to count on. 

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Heimdall’s son’s name is likely to be a reference to Axl Rose, the Guns N Roses vocalist. Since Waititi’s movie uses an abundance of their songs, the name could be a tip of the hat to the singer. 

Though Heimdall died in ‘Avengers: Endgame’, the end credits of ‘Love and Thunder‘ shows him being reunited with Jane Foster in Valhalla, the afterlife for Vikings. Idris Elba, who plays the part, had earlier teased an MCU return, leading fans to hope that Heimdall will fight alongside Thor again. 

In the meantime, Axl trains with Sif, a seasoned warrior and Thor’s old friend, who teaches Heimdall’s son how to wield a sword. All things considered, Heimdall’s son’s future and that of Asgard, are in safe hands.