Four characters have lifted Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Thor, Captain America (Steve Rogers), Jane Foster, and Vision. Well, five, if you count Odin. To be able to do so, you need to have a warrior’s spirit, the selflessness and bravery required to put that spirit to work in order to ensure the wellbeing of others, and a personality free of arrogance. Those traits apply to many of the MCU’s biggest and most beloved heroes, but as we saw in Avengers: Age of Ultron, most of them (or at least the ones part of the gang at the time) were unable to lift it, even Bruce Banner. That seems to indicate that the character needs to be pretty clear of internal turmoil.
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Now, Banner has since found a certain level of inner peace, so it would be interesting to see how he’d do if tasked with lifting the hammer these days, but just as interesting would be the sight of some of the MCU’s newer additions attempting the feat of strength. What follows are some who we could see lifting Mjölnir. As you’ll see, most new additions definitely could not. For instance, Deadpool once lifted it in the comics, but the movies have made clear that the content of one’s character is integral in determining whether they can do so. The MCU’s Wade Wilson isn’t without his positive qualities, but he isn’t lifting Mjölnir. These heroes, though? Don’t count them out.
5) Daredevil
Daredevil (whose true MCU introduction was Daredevil: Born Again, not the Netflix shows) is iffy. He’s like Wonder Man and Yelena Belova in that he’s not exactly a quote unquote perfect person, but he does definitely have a good heart. Even still, his dark moments could hold him back from lifting the hammer.
But of that group, not to mention Sentry, Daredevil is the most likely. The fact that he’s a lawyer who prefers true justice and altruism over money? That alone should at least make the hammer budge.
4) Moon Knight
Moon Knight is here because he lifted Mjölnir in the comics. That certainly warrants his inclusion. However, it wasn’t really because he was “worthy” so much as the revelation that the metal used to create the hammer was a moon rock.
As for whether he could do it in the MCU…like with Daredevil, it’s iffy. The primary Marc Spector personality is a bit too conflicted, but the Steven Grant personality could possibly be a contender.
3) Captain America (Sam Wilson)
Yes, Sam Wilson was introduced before the events of Avengers: Endgame. And, also yes, he technically became Captain America at the very end of that film. But he didn’t embrace the title until afterwards.
And it’s in that lack of embracing the title that convinces us he could lift Mjölnir. He didn’t reject the responsibility that comes with putting oneself in line to help others. He rejected it because he wasn’t sure he could fill Steve Rogers’ big shoes (that’s humility, aka the opposite of arrogance). He also looked at the world around him and wasn’t sure it was ready to accept a Black Captain America. Mjölnir wouldn’t see that as weakness on his part, but rather unfortunately logical skepticism. Wilson has the humility and bravery required to do what his predecessor once did while fighting Thanos.
2) Shang-Chi
Throughout Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings we never see the title character be particularly arrogant. He’s pretty much an everyman. And, when he is using his martial arts skills, it’s to protect civilians or his friend Katy.
He has a rough past, but that’s because of his father, Xu Wenwu. Shang-Chi was forced to point at the man his father then beat the tar out of. He was just a kid. As an adult, he’s never shown to be arrogant, selfish, or a coward. Sounds like a Mjölnir shoe-in.
1) Ms. Marvel
Like the previous two entries, there doesn’t seem to be much holding back Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel from being worthy of holding Mjölnir. Unless she becomes a hugely different person as she nears her 20s, she’s already a natural.
Even though she is so young, Khan is brave. She’s getting these new powers that would scare most people, but she immediately puts them to good use. She may have been screaming her head off when she switched places with Monica Rambeau and found herself hurtling through space, but who wouldn’t? In a fight, she’s brave, even going so far as to jeopardize her own safety to save civilians. She has the biggest heart of the MCU superheroes and is tailor-made to hold Mjölnir.
Who could you see lifting Thor’s hammer? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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