After months of waiting, Marvel fans were finally treated to the first trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder this week. However, while the short teaser does a lot to sell the film’s visual style and playful tone, it also waits until the very end to give fans something they’ve been waiting years to see. We are, of course, talking about the first official shot of Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster as The Mighty Thor.
The character appears at the end of the Love and Thunder teaser not only dressed in full Thor regalia, but also wielding a reconstructed version of Mjolnir. It’s the latter detail that has left some viewers scratching their heads given that the hammer was smashed to pieces in Thor: Ragnarok, but Mjolnir’s return in Thor: Love and Thunder is something that certain Marvel fans have known about for a while now.
Mjolnir’s Return — Ever since it was revealed that Jane Foster will become The Mighty Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder, fans have been theorizing about how the character’s transformation might unfold on-screen. In the comics, Thor temporarily loses the ability to wield Mjolnir, and it’s during this time that the hammer telepathically calls out to Jane Foster. Jane seeks the hammer out and picks it up, becoming The Mighty Thor.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TIME-TRAVEL MOVIE? Click here to help us rank all the ones on Netflix.
Last year, several set photos leaked online showing Natalie Portman’s Jane approaching a shrine containing the broken fragments of Mjolnir. Those same photos also revealed a moment where Jane is lifted into the air right next to the hammer’s remains. The images seem to confirm that Jane’s transformation in Thor: Love and Thunder will happen, as it does in the comics, after she comes into contact with Mjolnir.
A New Wielder — All that said, the set photos didn’t reveal why Jane’s presence results in Mjolnir piecing itself back together again. While the first teaser trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder doesn’t outright answer that question, it does offer one reason why Mjolnir may bond with Jane.
Specifically, the teaser begins with Chris Hemsworth’s Thor declaring his superhero days “over.” The teaser also shows a shot of Thor planting his new weapon, Stormbreaker, in the ground, making it pretty clear that Thor will choose to retire when Love and Thunder begins.
It’s the character’s decision to step out of the spotlight and give up his violent ways that may result in Mjolnir seeking a new God of Thunder to take Thor’s place. That, in turn, may be why the hammer ends up rebuilding itself for Jane — not because it finds her worthier than its previous wielder, but because it needs to fill the void that Thor leaves behind when he decides to retire.
The Inverse Analysis — As is always the case with Marvel, fans won’t know the specific plot details of Thor: Love and Thunder until the film hits theaters this July. Fans will have to wait several more months to figure out what role Jane Foster actually plays in the reforging of Mjolnir, assuming Love and Thunder even bothers to explain the hammer’s reconstruction.
If it does, Marvel fans probably shouldn’t be surprised if the hammer’s return has everything to do with its previous owner’s unexpected retirement.
Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters on July 8, 2022.
