Editor’s note: The following article contains Thor: Love and Thunder spoilers.Thor: Love and Thunderhas its fair share of mythical weapons. From Gorr, the God Butcher’s (Christian Bale)Necroswordto Zeus’ (Russell Crowe) Lightning Bolt, the latest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduces new tools of destruction that give heroes and villains cosmic upgrades. However, the movie’s most impressive weapon actually comes from the past, with the reintroduction of Thor Odinson’s (Chris Hemsworth) favorite hammer, Mjölnir. That’s because, while Mjölnir was always capable of turning any mortal into a god, in the hands of Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) the hammer became a shotgun.
For the most part of the MCU’s “Infinity Saga,” Mjölnir was Thor’s signature weapon. With the hammer in his hands, Thor was able to fly, shoot lightning bolts, and use his will to make Mjölnir fly towards enemies and come back by itself. In the firstThorfilm, the hammer was even blessed by Odin (Anthony Hopkins) to grant all the powers of the God of Thunder to anyone worthy of lifting the weapon. So, once Jane claims Mjölnir for herself, she immediately acquires god-like strength and resistance. And using Mjölnir as a weapon Jane also becomes capable of flight. That would already be amazing, but the state in which Mjölnir was found by Jane allowed the hammer to get an explosive upgrade.
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During the events ofThor: Ragnarok, Hela (Cate Blanchett) shatters Mjölnir into dozens of small pieces. InLove and Thunder, we learn that all the pieces of Mjölnir are kept in New Asgard, as a touristic attraction to those who wish to see the God of Thunder weapon. As a tourist guide reveals, no one was ever able to lift Mjölnir’s fragment, indicating that Odin’s enchantment is still engraved in the hammer. So, whileRagnarokis all about Thor Odinson learning that his godlike powers are not bounded to his weapon, Odin’s enchantment is still capable of turning any mortal into a god.
When Jane is chosen by Mjölnir to wield the power of Thor, the hammer gains new life, and all the fragments unite to reforge the hammer. That is why Jane can use Mjölnir like it was never shattered. At the same time, each fragment of the broken hammer has the same powers as the whole, meaning they can be launched individually according to Jane’s will, hitting multiple enemies at the same time. So, if Jane wants it, she can swing the hammer and use it to shoot projectiles at an army. She can also just blast the hammer in front of her, like a shotgun, using the dozens of fragments to push waves of enemies away.
The new Mjölnir’s powers are used by Jane on multiple occasions duringLove and Thunder: defending New Asgard from Goor’s shadow monster, escaping the guards ofOmnipotence City, and rescuing the young Asgardian children at the end of the film. All that while being a relatively new hero, not used to solving problems with her fists. Should Jane have some time to really master how to use the new Mjölnir, Jane could become one of the most powerful forces in the MCU.
At the end ofThor: Love and Thunder, Thor Odison is seen again with Mjölnir in his hands. The shotgun-hammer was already a powerful tool in Jane’s inexperienced hands, so we are very curious to see the damage Thor can do with the new and improved Mjölnir in his hands.
Thor: Love and Thunderis currently available in theaters.
