Marvel has recently announced that male Norse superhero Thor will now be a woman.
In a statement, Marvel said: "THOR is the latest in the ever-growing and long list of female-centric titles that continues to invite new readers into the Marvel Universe. THOR will be the 8th title to feature a lead female protagonist and aims to speak directly to an audience that long was not the target for super hero comic books in America: women and girls."
The woman Thor will not be a new character. Wil Moss, the Marvel Comics edit of the upcoming "Thor" series, told Time that while they cannot give away all the details right now, the story will eventually explain why the Asgard hero will now a woman.
"It's not about filling a certain quota. It's about providing a shot in the arm to the Thor titles definitely, but it's something that's a natural part of where this story and the Thor title is going," Moss added.
See the Thor #1 cover by Russell Dauterman here.
Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso said that there's only one Thor in the Marvel Universe, and that "the character we know as Thor will not refer to himself as Thor anymore," but would still be around.
"Thor writer" Jason Aaron set the record straight: "This is not She-Thor. 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."
Women superheroes are now getting more exposure. Wonder Woman, for instance, will finally get her movie debut in the upcoming Batman vs Superman movie.
Right now, it's not known who the woman is exactly--where she came from, and if she has appeared before in the Marvel Universe. It is also not yet known if she is also from Asgard.
We'll just have to wait and see--the female Thor will appear in October, written by Aaron and illustrated by Russell Dauterman.
What do you think of this daring move by Marvel? Are you excited to see the female Thunder God wield the mighty Mjölnir? Share your thoughts below!
Join the Conversation