The Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced some insanely powerful weapons in the first eleven years, but Ronan the Accuser’s hammer from Guardians of the Galaxy is one of a few that can actually handle the power of an Infinity Stone. Could it be another Nidavellir weapon created by Avengers: Infinity War’s Eitri?

Ronan’s hammer has the built-in ability to project concussive blasts, and the Kree zealot showed this ability on several occasions in Guardians of the Galaxy. Once Ronan finally acquires the Power Stone and realizes its potential, though, he merges the two weapons together and gives the hammer the capability to completely destroy a planet, much like the ancient Celestial carriers that wiped out civilizations. According to the Art of Captain Marvel book (a film Ronan also appeared in briefly), the hammer is a ceremonial part of a Kree’s ascension.

Even with this in mind, it has never been confirmed what the hammer’s MCU origins are. In the comics, these hammers are traditionally made by the Kree and become bigger as individuals, like Ronan, advance through the military ranks. That hasn’t been confirmed to be the case in the MCU though. We do know that Ronan is the leader of the Accusers (a unit of the Kree military), so it would make sense that his hammer would be more powerful than any others, possibly even an ancient part of Kree history. But considering Ronan’s hammer has also shown the ability to be much more powerful than the average weapon thanks to its Infinity Stone wielding capabilities, could it actually be a creation from Nidavellir?

The forge run by Eitri (Peter Dinklage) and the dwarfs is responsible for the creation of Mjolnir, Stormbreaker, and the Infinity Gauntlet, arguably the three most powerful weapons in the MCU. Per Avengers: Infinity War, we know that Nidavellir was active until recently, so it’d be odd if they weren’t creating weapons during this time. And if an ancient alien race like the Kree were looking for advanced intergalactic weapons, Nidavellir would be an obvious manufacturer. After all, Rocket says in Infinity War that Nidavellir makes “the most powerful, horrific weapons to ever torment the universe” and Ronan’s hammer certainly fits that description.

If Ronan’s hammer is indeed created by Eitri, then it is not difficult to make the jump to this being the reason why it was able to actually wield the Power Stone. The MCU has firmly established that it takes a certain amount of strength to harness the energy of an Infinity Stone; The Collector mentioned that they “can only be brandished by beings of extraordinary strength.” The Guardians are only able to do it because Star-Lord is half-Celestial and Ebony Maw proclaimed in Infinity War that Thanos is the first person to ever have the power of two. Of course, Thanos had the Infinity Gauntlet, which is one of the only artifacts in the MCU that has shown the ability to control the stones - and was made by Eitri under duress.

The only possible hangup with this theory is how Thor describes Nidavellir weapons in Avengers: Infinity War. He says the Guardians cannot all have one because they “simply lack the strength to wield them” and that “your bodies would crumble as your minds collapsed into madness.” Ronan has no trouble wielding the power of his hammer before it is powered by an Infinity Stone, much less when it is. It could possibly be explained that it is enchanted to him, meaning only he can wield it (a la Thor’s connection to Mjolnir), or that not all Nidavellir weapons are created equally. Ronan’s hammer could’ve been made specifically so a Kree would be able to have the necessary strength, while the Uru metal gives it the ability to harness an Infinity Stone.

While there’s still not enough evidence to confirm this theory, it does make sense with the MCU’s canon. We’ll just have to keep out fingers crossed that the history and true power of the hammer will be explored in the future, such as in Captain Marvel 2 if Ronan returns again.

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