What Peter Dinklage’s Eitri Is Doing In Thor: Love And Thunder

Peter Dinklage teased a return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Thor: Love and Thunder, and the footage revealed that Mjolnir is in Thor 4. Director Taika Waititi made Chris Hemsworth's Thor relevant again in Thor: Ragnarok, and the director is bringing the Asgardian back in the upcoming Thor 4. Thor: Love and Thunder will also bring back Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie and Natalie Portman's Jane Foster, who's set to gain Thor-like power. The film will also introduce The Dark Knight himself, Christian Bale, as Gorr the God Butcher, a villain with a vendetta against the gods he thinks turned their backs on him. Russell Crowe also lends his talents to the production, taking on the role of Zeus.

Though Eitri's Marvel role seemed to be over, Peter Dinklage will most likely appear in Thor 4, because Mjolnir has been restored. Dinklage's character first appeared in the MCU in Avengers: Infinity War. There, the King of the Dwarves helped forge Stormbreaker for Thor, a weapon the God of Thunder tried to use to defeat Thanos (Josh Brolin). However, the character's future has been unclear. In a recent interview (via The Empire Film Podcast), Dinklage teased Eitri's return to the MCU. The actor answered a question about a possible comeback, and he said, "There’s another Thor movie there, isn’t there, that's coming out?" The actor joked after the comments that he "didn't say anything." However, the implication is there. Given Dinklage's comments and Mjolnir's return in the latest Thor: Love and Thunder footage, it appears Eitri will once again forge his way into Marvel's films.

Marvel could bring Eitri back for any number of reasons. Notably, Hela (Cate Blanchett) destroyed Mjolnir in Ragnarok, so Eitri could help restore the weapon. Additionally, Thanos already forced the character to make a weapon for him, so the MCU's newest villain, Gorr, could do the same. Then again, Gorr is a god killer, and Eitri is Thor's friend, so the King of the Dwarves may not last long in the MCU. Additionally, before Thor 4, Thanos took Eitri's hands away, but a Variant of the character could still have use of them. The strongest evidence for Eitri's return comes from Thor: Love and Thunder footage, showing a reconstructed Mjolnir, replete with blue cracks – probably after Eitri's maintenance.

Eitri Will Rebuild Mjolnir For Jane Foster

Natalie Portman as Jane Foster in Thor: Love & Thunder

Mjolnir was shattered in Thor: Ragnarok, but the latest clips from Thor: Love and Thunder show that the hammer has been restored, prompting rumors of Eitri's return. Waititi destroyed Mjolnir early on in the third Thor movie. In the film, Odin's (Anthony Hopkins) death allows Hela to break free from her imprisonment and wreak havoc on Asgard. However, before returning to her home, she meets Thor and Loki (Tom Hiddleston). In a show of strength, the Goddess of Death catches Mjolnir out of the air, thwarting Thor's attack and smashing it (with one hand, no less). Mjolnir returns in Avengers: Endgame to great fanfare as even Captain America (Chris Evans) uses Thor's weapon, but that version is from a different MCU timeline. In the end, Thor's alternate Mjolnir returns to its proper place.

Thor 4 footage sees Mjolnir appear with cracked blue lines, only to fly straight into the hands of Jane Foster. Thor seems shocked by the implication. Nonetheless, this all but confirms Eitri's appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder. If the King of the Dwarves was able to craft a weapon as powerful as Stormbreaker for Thor, he most certainly has the ability to repair Mjolnir after Hela's destruction. It will be fascinating to see how he achieves this without his hands. However, Waititi needs to find a proper explanation for the small setback/loss of limb. Mjolnir's new stint as Jane Foster's hammer will make for intriguing viewing, seeing as the reappearance was enough to shock the God of Thunder – whatever happens, it seems that the hammer is in competent hands with Mighty Thor. Eitri probably rebuilt the weapon specifically for Mighty Thor, as the new hero definitely needs a hammer worthy of her name. There's no telling what new powers Jane Foster will boast, but given the nature of Eitri's character, Mjolnir Mk. 2 is sure to come packing some snazzy new capabilities.

Aside from Thor: Love and Thunder footage, Marvel toys for Thor 4 have also revealed plot points about the film, showing Mjolnir's and Eitri's return. Jane wields a rebuilt Mjolnir in the new toys, which looks as if someone pieced it back together, as clips from the movie confirm. Meanwhile, Thor still appears to hold Stormbreaker as his primary weapon. With Jane Foster gaining the powers of Thor in the upcoming film, it'd make sense for her to have the mighty hammer. And since Eitri is the last survivor of Nidavellir, it seems he's the prime candidate to fix it. After all, Eitri originally created Mjolnir. So it'd be appropriate for him to bring the weapon back to life. And if anyone can fix Thor's hammer, it's the superpowered King of the Dwarves.

Eitri Will Make A Weapon For Gorr

Thor Love and Thunder's Gorr Reveal Avoids 2 Big God Butcher Problems

Unfortunately, Eitri doesn't have a wholesome backstory in the MCU. When Thor finds him in Infinity War, the King of the Dwarves reveals that Thanos forced him to make a gauntlet to control the Infinity Stones. After Eitri created the weapon, Thanos killed all the dwarves except for Eitri. He then bound the character's hands in metal so he could never forge another weapon again. Eitri is still suffering from the ordeal when Thor arrives to see him. "You were supposed to protect us," Eitri says to the God of Thunder. However, Thor 4 could see Eitri swing back to the light when he repairs Mjolnir for Jane.

Gorr could take some notes from Thanos in Thor 4. The villain famously uses All-Black the Necrosword in Marvel's comics, but Marvel may have given the legendary weapon to Hela in Ragnarok. After all, Marvel's What If...? episode 2 refers to Hela's weapon as "a Necrosword." If Gorr needs a different weapon, Eitri may be the character to see, prompting his return for Thor: Love and Thunder. After all, though Thanos bound the character's hands, Thor tells him that his weapon-making skills are truly in his mind. Even if the character doesn't get his hands back in the MCU, Eitri likely has plenty of weapon-making days ahead of him. Then again, another theory claims he doesn't.

Gorr Will Kill Eitri

Like Eitri, Gorr has a tragic backstory. In Marvel's comics, Gorr blames the gods for the loss of his family, and he makes it his mission to destroy them. During his comic book story, Gorr encounters the bodies of gods who had been fighting when he comes across All-Black. Since Hela may have been given the Necrosword in the MCU, Gorr could encounter Hela's body in Thor 4, which is missing after the destruction of Asgard and Mjolnir in Thor 3. After that, he could take her Necrosword for himself. In that case, Gorr may not need a weapon from the character, and Eitri could be in Thor 4 for another reason. Since Eitri is the God of Thunder's friend and supplies Thor with Stormbreaker, Gorr could come for the King of the Dwarves to cut down Thor's weapon supplier.

Peter Dinklage may have hinted that Eitri wouldn't last long in a potential Thor 4 appearance. During his interview with Empire, the actor said, "If you die in a Marvel movie, it doesn't mean it's your last Marvel movie." But, of course, Dinklage may have simply implied that Marvel actors could always return no matter what. So, though Eitri's fate is unknown, he could easily come back in Thor 4. But the quote is somewhat ominous. If Eitri does rebuild Mjolnir in Thor 4 and gives Jane Foster the power of Thor, that'd be an excellent reason for the God Butcher to have some problems with him in Thor: Love and Thunder.

Next: Why Thor 4 Being "Crazier" Than Ragnarok Is Perfect For Phase 4