Stormbreaker’s origin in Avengers: Infinity War was almost very different, and this abandoned plan could have made the weapon’s role in Thor: Love and Thunder much clearer. The Russo brothers split up Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Infinity War, each fighting Thanos in their own missions. For Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy members Rocket and Groot, this involved forging a brand-new, Titan-killing weapon, Stormbreaker, and the original plans for Stormbreaker’s origins in the MCU would have changed Thor’s following Phase 4 adventure.

For most of his MCU history, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor wielded the enchanted hammer, Mjolnir. Mjolnir was destroyed by Hela in Thor: Ragnarok, however, prompting Thor to travel to Nidavellir to forge a new weapon capable of taking down Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. The ax, Stormbreaker, was given a pivotal role in Phase 4’s Thor: Love and Thunder, but its purpose and true nature in the 2022 movie was confusing. Stormbreaker could have become an even more powerful weapon if Marvel Studios had kept in exhilarating scenes cut from Avengers: Infinity War.

Stormbreaker’s Role In Thor: Love & Thunder Was A Complicated Plot Point

After it was forged in Avengers: Infinity War, Thor used Stormbreaker to kill Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, and later wielded the ax during his battle against Gorr the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder. Stormbreaker had a huge role in Love and Thunder, as the ax’s ability to harness the Bifrost gifted Thor and his allies, including Valkyrie, Korg, and Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor, the ability to travel great distances in mere moments. This also made it a coveted tool for Gorr, however, as he intended to use Stormbreaker to access Eternity.

The Gates of Eternity were opened by the Bifrost in Thor: Love and Thunder, and while any number of powerful tools could have been used to harness the Bifrost, Gorr wanted Stormbreaker. Drawings in Love and Thunder seemed to imply that Stormbreaker had been seen to be the key to Eternity for many millennia, despite only being created in Infinity War. Even though Stormbreaker was incredibly new, the apparatus was in place to use it at the Gates of Eternity, creating some confusion about the weapon’s true nature.

Avengers: Infinity War Almost Made Stormbreaker A Much Older & Much More Powerful Weapon

Stormbreaker has been depicted as a very powerful weapon in the MCU already, especially through its ability to open the Bifrost. However, Avengers: Infinity War almost made Stormbreaker even more formidable, as abandoned plans for the weapon’s origins would have made it an ancient relic. Avengers: Infinity War concept art released in The Art of Avengers: Infinity War in 2018 revealed that Thor, Rocket, and Groot almost went on a more adventure-based mission to find Stormbreaker, rather than forging it from scratch.

These original plans saw Thor and his Guardians of the Galaxy allies travel to an undisclosed location to find the ancient Stormbreaker buried in the skull of a World Serpent, which would have been the MCU’s depiction of the Norse beast, Jörmungandr. As explained by Senior Visual Development Artist Rodnet Fuentebella, Stormbreaker was originally forged “way back when,” and one of Thor’s ancestors had used it to kill the World Serpent (via Comicbook.com). This would have made Stormbreaker considerably older, perhaps allowing it to make more sense in Thor: Love and Thunder​​​​​​​.

This was going to be the introduction of Stormbreaker​​​​​​​. It was forged way back when, and one of Thor’s ancestors had wielded it to destroy the World Serpent… You can see it buried in the skull of the World Serpent. We wanted to create something that was interesting and different but still feel like you could tell that it’s buried in something. There was also an idea of how, after they got Stormbreaker, as they were escaping, the children of the World Serpents would attack them and they would have to fight their way out.

Infinity War’s Abandoned Stormbreaker Origin Makes More Sense For Love & Thunder (& Could Have Debuted A Powerful Thor Villain)

If this original sequence had been retained, audiences would have known Stormbreaker as an ancient weapon from its very first appearance. This would have made its greater purpose in Thor: Love and Thunder less jarring, as it would have been more believable for Stormbreaker to be the key to the Gates of Eternity. Gorr the God Butcher may have known about Stormbreaker from myths and legends, instead of it never being explained how he became aware of the powerful ax.

Bringing Stormbreaker into the MCU in this fashion would have also introduced the World Serpent to the franchise. The World Serpent, otherwise known as the Midgard Serpent, made its Marvel Comics debut in 1952’s Marvel Tales #105, debuting a full decade before Thor, and was prophesized to battle the God of Thunder during the epic Ragnarok event. The World Serpent hasn’t made an appearance in live-action yet, so it would have been great to see Thor battle the giant creature in Avengers: Infinity War, but perhaps this could occur in a possible sequel to Thor: Love and Thunder​​​​​​​.