The Mystery of Mjolnir's Destruction Deepens in Latest Thor: Ragnarok TV Spot

Marvel is in the final marketing push for Thor: Ragnarok, and that means we're seeing a whole lot of new TV spots. Marvel's always had to strike a careful balance at this point, revealing enough to whet fans' appetites without giving too much anyway. In the case of Thor: Ragnarok though, the House of Ideas may well have just left eagle-eyed fans ever more confused...

Take a look at that gorgeous new TV spot above, complete with some brand new footage that actually seems to be from the film's third act. It features a wonderful scene in which Hela enters the throneroom of Asgard to find Thor occupying her seat, and we'd expect that particular moment to be the precursor to the final battle between the God of Thunder and the Goddess of Death.

It's hard not to be surprised by what follows from the throne room scene though, as once again we witness Thor's horror as Hela effortlessly catches — and then shatters — his enchanted hammer. We saw the destruction of Mjolnir back in the first trailer, a moment that left Thor fans as stunned as the Odinson himself. This is clearly exactly the same footage, with even the strands of Hela's hair in exactly the same place. But, in a curious twist, Marvel has used a green-screen to add a completely different background.

The first trailer showed an extended version of the scene, with Hela in an alleyway. This one is shorter, punchier, but this time around it's played out against a countryside backdrop. We see rolling plains, with a hint of the gentle slopes you'd expect from a location like Iceland. The quality of the new background isn't great, and feels only half-finished, but the real question is: Why the change?

It's possible that this new scene is intended simply to confuse the fans. Given we know Odin is hiding in the streets of New York, fans had deduced that the battle between Thor and Hela would take place after Hela had defeated the All-Father himself. In fact, a recent fan-theory suggested that Odin himself is the bearer of the Soul Stone, and that Hela's power increases to this shocking extent because she's killed Odin and reclaimed the Soul Stone.

Are the fans getting a little too close for comfort? Is #Marvel trying to confuse the issue, to leave us a little more uncertain about the plot of Thor: Ragnarok?

Whatever the truth may be, whatever the final version of the scene may look like, one thing's for certain. With Thor: Ragnarok due out on November 3rd, we don't have long to wait.