Fans can see Thor wielding yet another legendary weapon in Thor: Love and Thunder. It is going to be Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) fourth solo film in the franchise, making him the only character to have 3+ solo films. Taika Waititi is directing this film after his success with Thor: Ragnarok. The film will star Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, and Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie. Interestingly, Taika Waititi is also going to voice the ever-funny character of Korg. Batman famed actor Christian Bale, will play the role of the new big bad, Gorr The God Butcher.
Thor lost his Iconic Mjolnir when Hela (Cate Blanchett) destroyed it in Thor: Ragnarok. The god of thunder then faces the desperate need for a new weapon to fight Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. Thankfully, Eitri (Peter Dinklage), king of the dwarves, forges the Stormbreaker for Thor on Nidavellir. Thor returns with his ax to fight Thanos, but ultimately fails.
Now there’s a chance that Odinson will lose yet another weapon of his in the upcoming movie. According to comics, Stormbreaker is Beta Ray Bill’s weapon, as hinted in Ragnarok. The MCU might introduce Beta Ray Bill in Thor 4, and Thor might offer him Stormbreaker, just as in the comics he offered Mjolnir. This will make Thor use his original weapon from the comics, Jarnbjorn, which he uses after Jane becomes the mighty Thor. This plot of Mjolnir is in Thor: Love & Thunder.
Jane Will Wield The Mighty In Thor: Love & Thunder
At Marvel Studios’ Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Taika Waititi revealed that Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster will wield Mjolnir and become the Mighty Thor during Love and Thunder’s filming. As part of Thor‘s origin story, Jane Foster, after being diagnosed with breast cancer, undergoes chemotherapy while Thor fights Gorr the god butcher. The MCU introduced Thor’s version of Jane Foster into the Marvel comic universe in 2014 and became an instant hit among fans. Following this, Mjolnir chooses Jane as its new master, as Thor loses his ability to wield it.
Jane’s dilemma over Hammer and Becoming Thor resonated with fans the most. The original source material describes Jane Foster as being cured of her cancer every time she picks up a hammer; however, all progress made in chemotherapy up to that point is also lost, making Jane’s condition worse. After a while, Jane realized its effects every time she became herself again. However, she used her powers for good over her own good, which led to her untimely death. It will be interesting to see how the MCU plays with this critical element.
What Will Make Thor Lose Stormbreaker
Beta Ray Bill received Stormbreaker not from Thor, but from Odin as a reward for beating Thor in combat and proving that he was worthy of Mjolnir. Thor had first offered him Mjolnir to show his respect. The Korbinites, an alien race nearly wiped off by Surtur, called Beta Ray Bill to guard them as they fled their desolate planet. This confirms that Korbinites, and specifically Beta Ray himself, exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As seen in Ragnarok, the head of Beta Ray Bill is present among the other heads of Grandmaster’s (Jeff Goldblum) champions.
Especially after the Easter egg in Ragnarok, this classic Thor story could make its way into Love and Thunder. Thor and Beta Ray Bill may face of each other in combat and Bill can defeat Thor. Thor, in turn, can offer Bill a stormbreaker as a sign of respect. A debut of Beta Ray Bill in Love and Thunder could be the best opportunity for comic fans to meet the character, since he’s not only stronger than Thor but also worthy of his weapon.
Jarnbjorn Is Thor’s New Weapon In The MCU
With Jane wielding Mjolnir and Beta Ray Bill claiming Stormbreaker, Thor will have no weapon. Although Jarnbjorn is Thor’s first weapon in the source material, in Love and Thunder, he would have no choice but to use Jarnbjorn. Thor wielded Jarnbjorn again in the comics after Jane Foster took over as Thor, and started going by the name Odinson instead. Jarnbjorn was forged from Asgardian steel by the Dwarfs and is indestructible thanks to the Charms Odin and Thor placed on the ax. As Jane is going to wield Mjolnir in the film, Jarnbjorn is the only viable weapon left for Thor.
Jarnbjorn Makes Sense For Thor’s MCU Future
In Ragnarok, Marvel Studios have found new life for Thor after the disappointing Thor: The Dark World. But, if the MCU’s planning to make Thor into a trilogy, he’ll need more dimension. It might be just the thing for Thor to continue his MCU journey after Love and Thunder, especially after facing off against a villain like Gorr The God Butcher.
Thor’s comic books appear to be more mysterious, reserved, and somewhat dark after he takes on the Odinson name and wields Jarnbjorn. The MCU could use this as an opportunity to explore a new side of Thor that it has avoided previously, as well as give characters a chance to grow and develop. It is unclear to what extent Thor’s fourth solo adventure will unfold with no promotional footage to go on. Still, this could be one of the most exciting MCU movies of 2022, with Jane becoming Thor and Christian Bale playing Gorr. Meanwhile, Taika Waititi has also returned as director.
The potential for Thor to pick up Jarnbjorn in the summer blockbuster of 2022 would allow Marvel Studios to steer the character into a darker, bone-chilling narrative. Details of the film are not available, so maybe the first trailer, when released, will shed some light on its mysteries.
