Chris Hemsworth’s Thor suffered an agonizing defeat at the hands of Thanos aboard the Statesman in the opening moments of Avengers: Infinity WarHe is found by the Guardians, who nurse him back to health. They both have the common goal of defeating Thanos. Thor wants a powerful weapon because Hela destroyed his previous weapon, Mjolnir.
Thor heads to Nidavellir with Rocket and Groot to get a new weapon, and Eitri the dwarf helps them create Stormbreaker. However, the original plan for Thor’s adventure was very different from the film’s plot. The planned plot was scrapped because it included scenes that could have earned the film an R rating.
Chris Hemsworth’s Thor initially had a possible R-rated scene in Avengers: Infinity War
Eleni Roussos’ book from 2019 Avengers: Endgame – The Art of the Film shared works of art that never saw the light of day in the two-part Infinity Saga Films. In one of the artworks by Avengers: Infinity WarThor, Rocket and Groot (Chris Hemsworth) were seen fighting several snakes.
Instead of meeting Eitri in Nidavellir to forge Stormbreaker, Thor and the gang embark on an Indiana Jones-like mission to guide Stormbreaker. In this version, their quest takes them to the realm of Jormungand. The realm contained the skeletal remains of a giant serpent known as the World Serpent. Stormbreaker was buried deep within the giant serpent’s skull.
Rodney Fuentebella, Marvel’s lead visual development artist, had one hell of an alternate sequence ready for Roussos. Fuentebella explained that their sequence was about finding Stormbreaker rather than forging him. The artist explained that Thor’s ancestors used him to destroy the World Serpent.
Thor’s mission becomes a challenge when an army of the Children of the World Serpent attacks them. The trio must fight them to escape the realm with Stormbreaker. Fuentebella said they had the whole action set planned, but it never happened. Avengers: Infinity War. The visual artist shared (via Avengers: Endgame – The Art of Movie):
This was going to be the introduction of the Stormbreaker. It was forged a long time ago and one of Thor’s ancestors had used it to destroy the World Serpent… We wanted to create something that was interesting and different, but still felt like it was buried in something.
There was also the idea that as they fled after getting Stormbreaker in their hands, they would be attacked by the Children of the World Serpents and would have to fight their way out.
It’s possible that the involvement of “children” made some Marvel executives uncomfortable, fearing an R rating for a film aimed at audiences of all ages. Although the children in this context couldn’t possibly be human children, Marvel took no chances and abandoned the plan.
The story of the World Serpent and the Stormbreaker in Marvel Comics
The World Serpent is a creature from Norse mythology that first appeared in Marvel Comics as the Midgard Serpent. Marvel Stories No. 105 in 1952. The snake first appeared in Thorn #127acts as the nemesis of the God of Thunder and later appeared in several Thor comics. The World Serpent also appeared in The Avengers Volume 3 #1.
Stormbreaker is also a weapon that has appeared in the comics since 1983. In the comics, it never belonged to Thor. The weapon was forged by Odin and carried by the alien Beta Ray Bill, who was the first non-Asgardian to lift Mjolnir. The latter character appears as a sculpture in Thor: Ragnarokappears in the Grandmaster’s Tower of Champions.
Avengers: Infinity War and other Marvel movies are now available to stream on Disney+.
