This Early Concept Art for Thor’s Hammer Will Make You Miss Mjölnir

Unpopular opinion: the MCU’s saddest death takes place in the beginning of Thor: Ragnarok, when the God of Thunder’s sister, Hela, destroys his best friend.

That best friend was Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir, of course. Before it was ruthlessly shattered, the two embarked on many an adventure across the universe and slew countless foes, from the Chitauri soldiers of The Avengers to that horrific flying rodent in Ragnarok. In the latter’s direct sequel, Avengers: Infinity War, we see Thor (Chris Hemsworth) forge a new weapon, a battle-axe named Stormbreaker. And while Stormbreaker is pretty and conducts lightning remarkably well, there’s a lingering sense that it will never completely fill that hammer-shaped hole in our hearts.

As if in retrospect, regular Marvel art department head Charlie Wen posted his early concept art of Mjölnir on his Facebook page. The first image contains 24 different variations of Norse mythology’s most famed hammer, and the bottom two feature what looks like the chosen model as it emits lightning.

With the wide range of styles Wen drew up, it’s fair to say that he and the Marvel team went with a more conservative aesthetic. But Wen makes a good point that Thor’s look, though alien to Earth, needed to be able to mesh with the sleek, industrial visuals of Iron Man. The Mjölnir they chose is perfect in my eyes, although it is tantalizing to think which version might have been incarnated if Thor was introduced after the more cosmic visuals of the Guardians of the Galaxy were already in play. That bottom rack of hammers looks especially deadly, and the second weapon to the left is a bit like Stormbreaker in hammer form. It’s very possible Marvel returned to these concepts when designing Infinity War, after all.

Thor may have found vengeance at the end of Ragnarok, but we will continue to mourn Mjölnir far past Avengers 4 when it concludes the MCU’s Phase 3 in May.

Featured Image: Marvel Studios’ THOR: RAGNAROK. Hela (Cate Blanchett). Ph: Teaser Film Frame. ©Marvel Studios 2017