The secret is out for Thor: Love & Thunder, with Natalie Portman becoming the MCU’s next cosmic superhero–or she will be, once Jane Foster becomes the new Thor. But even if Jane is worthy of godhood… how she will actually get that power is a serious problem for any Marvel fan who’s been paying attention.

After all, the entire mythology of Thor and his role as the God of Thunder centers on being ‘worthy’ of lifting Mjolnir–and gaining the ‘Power of Thor’ that the act bestows. That’s how it’s always been in Marvel’s comic book universe, and it’s the way the first Thor movie understood the magic. But with Mjolnir destroyed, and the power it grants now a logical mess in the current MCU, the way Jane Foster becomes Thor in the actual comics can’t be adapted.Which leaves fans with the same question the filmmakers must now answer: how is Jane Foster supposed to become worthy of Thor’s powers… if Mjolnir doesn’t exist to give them to her?

In The Comics, Mjolnir Makes Jane Foster ‘Mighty Thor’

For anyone who missed out on the actual story of Jane Foster lifting Mjolnir to become ‘The Mighty Thor’ in Marvel Comics, the changing of the hero’s identity took everyone by surprise–Thor Odinson and Jane included. After Thor found himself unworthy of Mjolnir in the Original Sin event, he was forced to abandon his hammer on the surface of the Moon. But on the final page of the relaunched Thor #1, a mysterious woman approached the hammer speaking the words, “There must always be a Thor.” With that she raised Mjolnir, and transformed into the new Goddess of Thunder. And we do mean ’transformed.’

It’s a detail largely lost in Thor’s adaptation to the MCU, but the idea that lifting Mjolnir physically transforms the wielder into Thor goes back to the hero’s beginnings. Over time, Thor’s alter ego was erased, leaving Thor of Asgard looking the part whether holding Mjolnir or not. But the literal interpretation inscribed on Mjolnir returned with Jane Foster: when lifting the hammer, she is blessed with superhuman strength, endurance, knowledge, durability, and flight–and her physical form changes to match. Which poses a problem for the movies, because…

The MCU Doesn’t Use Mjolnir The Same Way

If fans remember back to the very first Thor movie, they can recall a more or less accurate depiction of this magic at work. Deemed unworthy by his father, Thor Odinson becomes a mortal without any of his powers (but still retaining the same appearance, since Marvel cast Chris Hemsworth for a reason). The film’s final battle sticks to this mythology as well, returning to Thor’s hand and transforming him into his God of Thunder form. Unfortunately, that’s about the last time Marvel stuck to the lore behind Mjolnir at all.

As we’ve explored in the past, the MCU basically ignored Thor’s entire mythology for the sake of a more comedic reboot in Thor: Ragnarok. When Mjolnir was destroyed in the comics, Jane lost her powers completely and returned to normal human physiology. But in the movies, the destruction of Mjolnir renders Thor as weak and depowered as an everyday Asgardian… for a while. Right up until his father Odin informs him that Thor was always the God of Thunder himself, and never needed Mjolnir–making it a hunk of metal, and nothing more.

That change to comic canon is backed up when Captain America lifts Mjolnir in Avengers: Endgame, and doesn’t transform into Thor form–he simply wields it as a cosmic hammer, with a blast of lightning here and there for added effect. The directors of Endgame can’t be blamed for not really knowing how to handle Mjolnir’s magic, because Thor’s own movies have erased its ability to bestow the ‘God of Thunder’ power upon its wielder. Which poses a MAJOR problem, now that Jane Foster needs to become The Mighty Thor in Love & Thunder.

How Jane Foster Can Become Thor - Without Mjolnir

The benefit to the Thor/Mjolnir confusion in the MCU is that the rules have been so thoroughly broken, and fans have taken so little issue along the way, the filmmakers are free to come up with a new, even semi-workable solution. After all, the idea of the Asgardians being literal ‘Gods of…’ anything has been cast aside as well (Loki’s magic and trickery were taught to him by his mother, not innate). Since Odin presumably bestowed Thor’s power, too, then it may be an authority granted to the King of Asgard–or Queen, now that Thor has appointed Valkyrie the new ruler.

If the idea that “there must always be a Thor” is maintained on film, but Mjolnir can’t seek out or choose Jane as it did in the comics, it must be something else. Will Valkyrie sense Jane Foster being chosen as the new Goddess of Thunder? Will she choose Jane due to her knowledge of Bifrost, or the ‘magic’ of Asgard she can actually understand and practice? Or will she choose Jane knowing it will catch Thor’s attention like nothing else could? Whatever the answer, there’s still no Mjolnir. Which may be the biggest problem for Thor 4 to fix going forward.

A Stronger Mjolnir Could Return In Thor: Love & Thunder

Again, the fact that Marvel reduced Mjolnir to a hammer, enchanted so only a few worthy (whatever that means) people could lift it means its destruction isn’t too important. Even Thor has judged his Infinity War axe Stormbreaker to be a better weapon since it’s bigger. So there’s nothing keeping Valkyrie from forging another hammer, enchanting it to seek out someone worthy of becoming the new God of Thunder, and it ending up in Jane’s hand. Again, that’s more due to the lack of lore than what’s been established, but a fix is a fix. However, it’s possible that the rebirth of Mjolnir and its selection of Jane could mean much, much more.

The modern comics revealed the truth of Mjolnir, not even known to Thor himself: that the hammer contained Tempest, also known as ‘The Mother of Storms,’ basically a cosmic force which Thor wielded through Mjolnir. After its destruction, and after Thor proved himself truly worthy, the Mother of Storms collected the shards of the shattered hammer to forge a new, more powerful Mjolnir. The same could take place in Thor: Love & Thunder, since a cosmically-reforged Mjolnir slamming into the ground in front of Valkyrie could have only one meaning.

Jane Foster would have several reasons to be called to the site, but if handled properly this new origin for ‘The Mighty Thor’ could adapt one of the best modern changes to the mythology of Mjolnir. One that would make both Jane Foster and her hammer more powerful than Thor has ever been. When Thor Odinson first sought out the ‘pretender Thor’ in the comics, he yielded after witnessing Jane’s mastery of Mjolnir. Controlling it even outside of her hand, changing its speed and direction at will, Thor acknowledged it served her as it had never served him.

When Mjolnir was recently reforged to end the War of The Realms, it brought a tear to Thor’s eye… since it meant The Mother of Storms now accepted his command willingly, and not through force as Odin had done the first time. Combining the two stories, it seems fated that in Thor: Love & Thunder, the Mother of Storms should forge a new, stronger Mjolnir to send forth to the Queen of Asgard, calling out to a new Goddess of Thunder to accept the duties Odin’s son has left behind. Now, we just have to hope Marvel Studios agrees.

MORE: Jane Foster’s Done Being Thor, as Marvel’s New VALKYRIE

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