Why Could Captain America Hold Thor's Hammer In Avengers

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Menu Follow Followed Like More Action Sign in now Screen Awards Got A Pitch? Videos 2025 Movie Releases Screenings What to Watch Originals Reviews Close By Adam Chitwood Published Jul 24, 2019 Adam Chitwood is a former Managing Editor at Collider, where he covered film and television with a focus on interviews, features, and industry analysis. Sign in to your Collider account Add Us On follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Spoilers for Avengers: Endgame follow below.

The mega-hit Avengers: Endgame is a film full of cheer-out-loud moments for audiences, but one of the biggest crowd responses comes during the climactic battle, in a moment of payoff that’s been building for years. When Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is on the ropes and about to be pummeled by Thanos (Josh Brolin), his hammer Mjolnir comes whooshing by. But it doesn’t fly into Thor’s hands. Instead, it flies into Captain America’s (Chris Evans). And the crowd. goes. wild.

Thor’s magic hammer Mjolnir only comes to those who are worthy, and until now that has been only Thor. But longtime MCU fans will remember a humorous bit from Avengers: Age of Ultron in which all the Avengers are trying to lift the hammer, and Cap ever-so-slightly moves it. If that was the setup, this moment in Endgame is the payoff.

Image via Marvel Studios

During a spoiler-filled interview on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, directors Joe and Anthony Russo shed some light on this moment, with Joe Russo noting that the inspiration for it goes back to that bit in Age of Ultron:

“I think it goes all the way back to Ultron. I think everyone who’s a Marvel fan, in that moment where Cap tested the hammer, felt deep down in their heart that he was worthy and that he could potentially lift that, and boy wouldn’t it be special one day if he did. And obviously if you create drama around the circumstances of him wielding the hammer, and then kicking Thanos’ ass for 30 seconds after that, we felt like we could create a risible moment for the audience.”

But why was Captain America only now able to wield Thor’s hammer? What makes him worthy in Endgame and not before? According to Anthony Russo, he’s always been worthy, and during that moment in Age of Ultron, he stopped himself from lifting the hammer fully out of deference to Thor:

“In our heads he was able to wield it, and he didn’t know that until that moment Ultron when he tried to pick it up. But Cap’s sense of character and his sense of humility, sort of out of deference to Thor’s ego, you know Cap in that moment realizing he can move the hammer decides not to.”

Image via Marvel Studios

That’s one way to look at it. Another is that he wasn’t truly worthy until he was honest with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) about the fact that Bucky killed his parents—a secret he kept until the events of Captain America: Civil War. Whichever reasoning you prefer, the moment works tremendously in Avengers: Endgame and provided one of the most memorable theater-going experiences I’ve had in a long while.

Note: This article was initially published at a prior date, but in advance of Avengers: Endgame’s release on Digital HD on July 30th, we’re highlighting our spoiler-filled Endgame content.

For more on Avengers: Endgame, click on the links to our recent articles below:

• How 'Avengers: Endgame' Succeeds as a Distinct Film from 'Infinity War'
• ‘Avengers: Endgame’ May Have Introduced Yet Another Obscure Marvel Hero
• ‘Avengers: Endgame’: Robert Downey Jr. Initially Didn’t Want to Say That Final Line
• ‘Avengers: Endgame’: Here’s Why Katherine Langford’s Big Scene Was Cut

Image via Marvel Studios

Image via Marvel Studios

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