Stormbreaker: What We Know About Thor's Infinity War Weapon

Following the destruction of Mjolnir in Thor: Ragnarok, it was pretty obvious that Thor would come into possession of a new weapon in time for Avengers: Infinity War. What that weapon would ultimately be has remained a mystery, though evidence had been pointing to the Asgardian wielding Jarnbjorn, a mythic axe the hero's comic book counterpart once utilized in his younger, pre-Avengers days.

Now, a leaked photo of a tie-in toy has revealed that rather the Jarnbjorn, in Infinity War Thor will pick up a weapon called Stormbreaker, which has its own rich comic book history. So rich, it's worth wondering what the presence of Stormbreaker means for Infinity War... and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Asgardians and Their Weapons

The Asgardians have a long history when it comes to enchanted weapons. We all know Thor's trusty hammer Mjolnir by now, but there are plenty more that have escaped the Marvel movie gaze until now. Before Thor was deemed worthy, for example, he used the previously mentioned battle axe Jarnbjorn.

Fear Itself was an entire comic book event revolving around heroes and villains wielding powerful Asgardian weapons, including the mace Thunderstrike, which once powered Eric Masterson, and Ultimate Mjolnir, which just recently helped Volstagg of the Warriors Three become War Thor for a spell.

The name Stormbreaker has a unique legacy within the Marvel Universe because it has become the primary weapon of the alien hero Beta Ray Bill. In the comics, Stormbreaker was created by the Dwarves but was imbued with powers by Odin after Bill was able to defeat his son in battle. Judging by the leaked pictures, Marvel may have decided to go in a very different direction.

Whose Weapon is This?

The revelation that Thor will have a weapon named Stormbreaker is huge, but it also has us wondering whose weapon this will actually be. According to the leaked images, the movie version of Stormbreaker will have a small mallet on one side and a large axe blade on the other. This differs somewhat from the comic book version, which is mainly a hammer with a small cleaver-like blade on the backside.

This version of Stormbreaker looks far more like the Ultimate Mjolnir than any other enchanted weapon we know about. It's hard to image that this weapon came from an Ultimate universe version of the MCU, though, so it's more likely that this will be an amalgamation of several different Asgardian weapons. It may be part-Ultimate Mjolnir and part-Jarnbjorn, with the name Stormbreaker.

The leak also brings a bit more mystery into the whole equation, considering that this version of the hammer seems to be partly made from Groot's body. According to the packaging of this new weapon, Stormbreaker has a metal head, like Mjolnir, but the handle is made of a tree branch. The toy itself seems to also include a leaf on the handle that could be a button for kids to press in order to trigger a sound byte.

We certainly don't know for sure whether this new hammer is made out of Groot's body, but considering Thor's relationship to the Guardians of the Galaxy in Infinity War, it seems likely. Reports have indicated that the teenage Groot forms a bond with Thor, so he could be instrumental in giving his new friend another weapon.

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Thanks to an Easter egg in Thor: Ragnarok, we know that Beta Ray Bill, the primary wielder of Stormbreaker in the comics, exists somewhere in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The existence of this new hammer could easily set up his arrival at some point in the future, but there remain a few factors that could get in the way of his full introduction.

If Thor's new weapon is composed of Groot's body, it may mean that the hammer head existed on its own at one point. Was this some kind of Asgardian relic that existed on the gods' spaceship before the events of Infinity War? If Groot helps Thor use this artifact, does that mean the weapon's new handle is permanent, or will he take his tree branch back at the end of the film?

That last part is key to Bill's future in the MCU. If this is now a permanent weapon in the universe, it sets up a new character picking it up after Thor, even if the item's origin is somewhat different than in the comics. If it reverts back into an unusable artifact, does that mean Beta Ray Bill is out of the picture?

Of course, it's possible Marvel simply used the name Stormbreaker instead of Jarnbjorn because it was easier to pronounce and market. This could ultimately mean nothing for Beta Ray Bill, but Marvel had to know fans would be asking questions about it... right?

Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War stars Robert Downey Jr., Josh Brolin, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Olsen, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Bettany, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Benedict Wong, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland and Anthony Mackie. The film opens May 4.