Marvel announced Tuesday morning on ABC's The View that Thor will be dropping his hammer and a FEMALE will be taking over mighty Mjolnir in the Thor comics.
"This is not She-Thor," writer, Jason Aaron (Thor: God of Thunder, Original Sin), stressed in the Marvel press release. "This is not Lady Thor. This is not Thorita. This is THOR. This is the THOR of the Marvel Universe. But it's unlike any Thor we've ever seen before." With artwork by Russell Dauterman (Clyclops), Marvel Comics will be introducing an all-new Thor: God of Thunder, as a new female hero will emerge in the first issue, Thor #1, launching this fall.
"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."
The god of thunder has had his hammer in the hands of others before (Beta-Ray Bill, Captain America, and Superman), and Odin's spell has previously deemed other females worthy as well (a crossover where Storm and Wonder Woman once wielded the hammer). This time, however, a female—whether Asgardian or not, we don't know yet—will be taking over the Thor moniker in the comics, and not just as a temporary substitute.
Marvel's editor-in-chief, Axel Alonso, told TIME magazine that the new Thor will be able to wield Mjolnir because Thor can't. "This is different because for reasons we can't disclose quite yet, Thor is unable to pick up the hammer." Alonso explained. "There are a number of women in Thor's life, and we're going to tease out for quite awhile the identity of who this woman is. But one of the women in Thor's life picks up the hammer. She is in fact worthy. And she becomes Thor."
Thor won't be the only Avenger that will be replaced. With Steve Rogers no longer able to carry his shield into battle, the 90-year-old soldier is left to counsel the next Captain America, Marvel announced earlier this month.
Thor won't be the only Avenger that will be replaced. With Steve Rogers no longer able to carry his shield into battle, the 90-year-old soldier is left to counsel the next Captain America, Marvel announced earlier this month.
Following major support for female superheroes, the female Thor will join Marvel's lineup of strong female characters such as Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, Storm, and Black Widow, becoming the eighth title to feature a lead female protagonist.
Fangirls make up 47 percent of comic fans and 62 percent of the Facebook fans of female comic characters, which include Black Widow, Elektra, and She-Hulk, according to Comics Beat.
The new direction isn't an attempt to attract female readers, although Marvel certainly understands the fans' thirst for characters that represent them. "From Miles Morales, the African-American Spider-Man, to the new female Thor, our goal is to make our characters reflect the outside world," Alonso told TIME.
The news, unsurprisingly, quickly stirred a mixed debate on social media, some of which argued that Marvel's angle to address the lack of female characters would've better been helped if they would create new characters to represent the growing female populous instead of adding female incarnations of already-existing male characters.
Anthony Joshua, 21, an avid Marvel Comics reader, expressed, "I think it's a bit lame that they are taking male superheroes and giving them female counterparts. Just create original new female characters instead!" He continued to explain, "Spider-Man has Spider-Girl, Spider-Woman, and Silk. Superman has Supergirl. Batman has Batwoman [and Batgirl]. Now Thor has a female Thor."
There's no telling what this will mean for the film franchise, or whether we will ever see a female Thor on the big screen. At least for the foreseeable future, Chris Hemsworth will still be donning the infamous Asgardian armor, with Avengers: Age of Ultron in theaters next May.
What you think of the new female Thor? Are you for or against it? Let us know in the comments below!
What you think of the new female Thor? Are you for or against it? Let us know in the comments below!
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