Thor 4 Theory: Beta Ray Bill Gets Stormbreaker In Love & Thunder

Beta Ray Bill could end up with Stormbreaker in Thor: Love and Thunder. Beta Ray Bill is a major character from the pages of Thor, and a key Marvel Comics superhero who has yet to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The alien warrior could make his live-action debut in the upcoming fourth installment in the Thor franchise.

The Thor franchise took a significant turn in Thor: Ragnarok — and not just because of the radical shift in tone. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) was dealt two devastating losses over the course of the film: Mjolinir and Asgard. Asgard’s destruction was a game changer to be sure, but so was losing his prized hammer; however, the loss of his weapon forced Thor to realize that he could be the God of Thunder even without its help. Mjolnir never was restored, but he did get a new weapon in the form of Stormbreaker in Avengers: Infinity War (with some assistance from Groot).

Thor will take Stormbreaker into his next adventure in Thor: Love and Thunder, which will expand (and likely conclude) Thor’s story, while simultaneously introducing new faces to the MCU. On top of the core characters introduced in 2011’s Thor, Marvel has utilized quite a few of the God of Thunder’s supporting characters in the Thor trilogy, including Lady Sif (Jamie Alexander), the Warriors Three, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and numerous villains from his rather large rogues’ gallery. Of course, despite the number of characters Marvel has packed into three Thor movies, there are still quite a few that haven’t been represented. Among the heroes and villains audiences are still waiting to see are Hercules, Enchantress, Balder the Brave, and Beta Ray Bill. The latter of the four, if given an important role, could receive Stormbreaker — his weapon from the comics — by the end of the movie.

Beta Ray Bill & Stormbreaker In Marvel Comics Explained

In 1983, Beta Ray Bill was born from the imagination of celebrated Thor writer Walt Simonson, who wanted to explore the idea that there could be other people out there in the galaxy worthy of wielding Mjolnir. That’s how Simonson came up with Beta Ray Bill, a member of an alien race called the Korbinites. An encounter in outer space led to a battle between Beta Ray Bill and Thor. After an incident caused Thor to revert back to his human persona of Donald Blake, Beta Ray Bill picked up Mjolnir and gained both its power and Thor’s iconic costume.

Beta Ray Bill determined that with Mjolnir, he could become the savior of his people. He made a claim to the hammer, but it was naturally contested by its owner, Thor. The matter was taken to Odin, who decreed that the only way to settle who should keep Mjolnir was to have both of them fight it out to the death in Skartheim, a fiery hot realm. Beta Ray Bill won the fight, but only due to his species’ natural resistance to fire. When he chose to spare Thor’s life and wondered if he was making the right decision in taking away Thor’s hammer, Odin came up with a solution. He decided that Thor should keep Mjolnir, and that Beta Ray Bill should be given a weapon of equal power. The axe known as Stormbreaker was forged and given to the alien. Since then, Beta Ray Bill has used Stormbreaker to protect the galaxy from various threats, and has occasionally returned to Earth for team-ups with Thor.

How Beta Ray Bill Can Fit Into Thor 4

The door is open for Beta Ray Bill to appear in the MCU. The existence of his species, the Korbinites, was confirmed in Thor: Ragnarok by one of the gladiator statues in Sakaar. He was originally included in the movie, but Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige said he was was cut so that he could be done justice later. This suggests that Marvel does want to use the character — it’s just a question of timing. Rumors have been swirling around for a while now, and though Thor 4 director Taika Waititi didn’t confirm Beta Ray Bill would appear, he didn’t shoot down the possibility either.

Perhaps the perfect opportunity to use the character will come up in Thor: Love and Thunder. After all, some of the details regarding the plot suggest that it will be a cosmic adventure. This is indicated by the reports that Thor 4‘s villain — played by Christian Bale — will be an “intergalactic” character. Whatever battle awaits Thor, Valkyrie, and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), it could take them into outer space to fight an alien threat. This idea is strengthened by the ending of Avengers: Endgame, which saw Thor leave with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and with this in mind, it would be quite surprising if Thor 4 doesn’t take place at least partially in space. Plus, some of the Guardians are reportedly in Thor 4, so it’s looking more and more like the movie is a good place for Marvel to work in some of its space-faring heroes, such as Adam Warlock, the Starjammers, and Beta Ray Bill. While in space, Thor and his friends could come across the Korbinite warrior, and he could get himself involved in their journey.

How Beta Ray Bill Could Get Stormbreaker In Thor 4

How could Beta Ray Bill get the power of Thor in the movie? Getting a weapon built by Eitri (Peter Dinklage) is a complicated process, and one that may not be repeated again in the MCU. It could be that he’ll be given Stormbreaker. But would Thor give up his most powerful weapon? He might, if Thor: Love and Thunder is meant to wrap up Thor’s story. Thor has had the longest-running franchise in the MCU, and it does feel like it’s time for it to finally end so that Marvel can continue moving on with new heroes. If Marvel does complete Thor’s MCU arc, it could accomplish this by having him grant his father’s wish and fully commit to being a king. Once he does that, he can hang up his hammer for good and let someone else take over as the God of Thunder. Jane Foster, who is confirmed to become “Mighty Thor” in Thor: Love and Thunder, may be a strong candidate for that position, but then, so is Beta Ray Bill — the rightful owner of Stormbreaker in Marvel Comics. Depending on how everything plays out, Thor could end up with two successors in the MCU.

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