This kind of approach has in fact had a long tradition in the study on Nordic mythology at least since Sophus Bugge (Norwegian Philologist) in the late 19th century, and the majority of the academic literature now take much more cautious to distinguish 'pre-Christian original' element from later Christian influence in the written form of such episodes recorded in medieval Christian manuscripts.

You can see some fine examples of this attitude, based on the long scholar ship traditions, in answers by /u/Platypuskeeper in the following threads (I just cite them from FAQ sections in the subreddit):

• How much do we actually know about the ancient religious traditions, deities and narratives of the Norse?
• How plausible is the theory that Snorri re-wrote Loki into a Lucifer-like enemy of the gods in order to keep the Norse stories alive in a Christian culture, but Loki was more of a positive trickster in the original mythology?