What Weapon Will Thor Wield in Avengers: Infinity War?
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Thor: Ragnarok, and potential spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War.]
We’re fewer than 100 days out from Avengers: Infinity War, and the internet is gleefully speculating away. Thanks to the tight-lipped Marvel machine, we know precious little about the plot details for the film, with very few leaks from the set of Infinity War. (Avengers 4, on the other hand, has seen quite a few leaks.)
As a result, there are plenty of questions remaining, but one of the ones that’s got me particular curious is: What is going on with Thor’s weapon?
As those of you who’ve seen Thor: Ragnarok will know, Thor’s signature hammer Mjolnir was destroyed by Hela in that film. He therefore had to rely on his powers as the god of thunder to defeat her in the climactic battle.
So where does that leave him for Infinity War and Avengers 4? Many users have suggested that he’ll use Jarnbjorn, the mighty battle axe that he first wielded in Thor: God of Thunder in 2013 and has been swinging in the pages of The Unworthy Thor while Mjolnir serves Jane Foster, the current Thor. In comics continuity, his use of Jarnbjorn dates back to before he was deemed “worthy” to wield Mjolnir, when he was partying and pillaging alongside the human Vikings.
Cover for The Unworthy Thor #2 by Olivier Coipel and Matt Wilson. Credit: Marvel Comics
However, there’s another possibility. A reportedly “leaked” Funko Pop! of Thor from Infinity War—which we’ll take with a grain of salt—seems to show Thor wielding what could be Jarnbjorn … or what could also be the War Hammer/Ultimate Mjolnir, the Mjlolnir from the Ultimates universe. The Ultimates Universe is an alternate universe from comics continuity, so if Thor is wielding the Ultimate Mjolnir, that could mean Infinity War and Avengers 4 are going for some sort of multiverse story.
However, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has previously drawn inspiration from the Ultimates universe for some of its interpretations, most notably Samuel L. Jackson’s turn as Nick Fury, without going into alternate dimensions. So if Thor does end up wielding the Ultimate Mjolnir, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to go full-on multiverse. (But with Doctor Strange around, it’s not necessarily out of the picture, either.)
Image of the Ultimate Mjolnir from Thors #4, by Jason Aaron, Chris Sprouse, Karl Story, and Israel Silva. Credit: Marvel Comics
Hemsworth himself has said that the next two Avengers film will “reinvent” the character, so a weapon change could be a great symbolic reflection of that. “After this last experience with Taika [Waititi],” Hemsworth said, “and actually these last two Avengers, I feel like we’ve reinvented the character a number of times—even in these next two, he evolves again, and you don’t get that opportunity often in a franchise.”
In addition, when ET Canada asked what weapon he’d be wielding in Infinity War, Hemsworth said, “I can’t give that away, but there is something pretty exciting coming. I think the fans will know and love and be excited for it.”
Plus, details of the Infinity War LEGO sets suggest that Thor does indeed go hunting for a new weapon.
However.
However, on the big MCU Vanity Fair spread from November 2017, we saw Thor clearly hoisting Mjolnir in his hand. Now, it’s possible that Vanity Fair just liked that iconic image of him with the hammer, and it’s possible that Marvel simply didn’t want to spoil anything from Thor: Ragnarok when the film came out in the United States on November 3, 2017. However, the easy answer there would be to simply leave the hammer out. And yet, it’s very prominently placed over the title of the magazine. It’s begging to be noticed.
So what’s going on here? Ultimately, we’ll have to wait until May 4, 2018 to find out. But what are your theories?
(Featured image: Marvel Entertainment)
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