Avengers: Endgame officially confirmed that Captain America is worthy of wielding the
mighty, mystical Mjolnir but the film didn't explain why it took so long for the Star-Spangled
Avenger to summon the hammer, particularly when he had the opportunity to do just that
back in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Thanks to new intel from the masterminds behind the biggest film of all time, we finally know
why Cap didn't lift Mjolnir until Endgame.
During an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, the Russo Brothers fielded a question about
Captain America's ability to wield Mjolnir, the square-headed sledgehammer only able to
be utilized by those the Asgardian gods believe is worthy.
"Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power!
Whatever, man.
It's a trick."
Its most famous user is, of course, the Asgardian God of Thunder Thor.
Audiences got the first hint that Captain America would be worthy of wielding the weapon
in Age of Ultron, when Thor invited the rest of the Avengers to try their hand at lifting
Mjolnir.
When Steve Rogers stepped up to the plate, he was able to shift the hammer slightly,
unlike the rest of the crew, who couldn't even make it budge.
This caused Thor to perk up in his seat and look visibly concerned that Steve would genuinely
end up swinging Mjolnir through the air.
In Endgame, when Captain America summons Mjolnir during the intense final battle against Thanos,
"Bro Thor" is totally pumped:
"I knew it!"
This suggested that the God of Thunder had known for years that Cap was worthy of wielding
the hammer likely recognizing that fact way back in Age of Ultron.
It subsequently caused many, including one curious Reddit user, to wonder whether Captain
America could always wield Mjolnir, and was thus able to lift it in Age of Ultron and
simply decided not to, or if he accrued worthiness over time.
Anthony Russo explained on Reddit that, in his interpretation, Captain America "always
could" pick up Mjolnir, and realized that during the party at Stark's place in Age of
Ultron.
Anthony wrote,
"Our interpretation of the famous scene in Ultron was that when he realized he could
pick up Mjolnir he quickly chose not to, because he didn't want to embarrass Thor."
Why might Thor be embarrassed by his fellow Avenger picking up and putting to use his
famous weapon, you ask?
Well, it's probably down to the fact that anyone deemed worthy enough to wield Mjolnir
instantly obtains all the powers Thor has when they lift it.
Combine the abilities Mjolnir grants its users with Captain America's super-strength, durability,
and near-indestructible Vibranium shield and it's easy to see why Thor might have gone
red in the face if Cap lifted Mjolnir in Age of Ultron.
Plus, there's the issue of Thor making a big deal about being the so-called chosen one,
not an Earthly mortal like the rest of the Avengers.
He's obviously pretty attached to ol' Mjolnir:
"What am I looking at?"
"Sometimes it takes a while, give it a second."
Cap was sweet to save his Mjolnir-wielding moment for Endgame, since it had much more
emotional heft and caused Thor to be joyful instead of embarrassed.
There was a huge payoff in watching Captain America lay the smackdown on Thanos using
Mjolnir and his super-shield.
The moment was certainly one of the most impactful of the entire film, with audiences around
the world cheering in their seats when it happened.
Seeing Steve Rogers lift Mjolnir in Age of Ultron could have been funny but watching
it happen in Endgame was infinitely more moving.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Looper videos about the MCU are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.