Could The MCU’s Phase 4 Avengers Lift Mjolnir?

With the next phase of the MCU is in full swing, questions are already arising regarding which of the Phase 4 Avengers could lift Mjolnir. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ release kicked off phase 4 proper in style, smashing box office expectations and heralding a welcome return to the MCU after a two-year hiatus. In Shang-Chi‘s post-credits scene, Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers’ cameos signal the re-emergence of Avengers-style superhero teams and raise the tantalizing prospect of a reformed phase 4 Avengers.

Thor will also be returning to phase 4 of the MCU in Thor: Love and Thunder, slated for a summer 2022 release. An integral part of the original Avengers, Thor will undoubtedly be an automatic inclusion into their phase 4 incarnation wielding his iconic hammer, Mjolnir. Thor’s hammer was an integral component of the MCU phase 3 story, from the awe-inspiring powers it granted the Avengers to anointing the people it deemed worthy, such as Vision and the old Captain America, respectively.

Thor’s legendary hammer has proven itself to be a fickle entity, with its intangible criteria of ‘worthiness’ something only a select few ever attain. With the new phase of the MCU altering the existing Avengers and introducing a slew of new faces, Mjolnir could conceivably be wielded by someone other than Thor again. So which of the MCU’s phase 4 Avengers could lift Mjolnir?

Thor – Yes

It may be stating the obvious, but the God of Thunder is all but guaranteed to wield Mjolnir once again in Thor: Love and Thunder. Despite going through an existential crisis in Avengers: Endgame after failing to prevent Thanos’ snap, Thor still returned in style during the final battle to help defeat the Mad Titan with Mjolnir in hand. While plot details remain scant for Thor: Love and Thunder‘s story, it is confirmed that this will be the movie in which Jane makes her transition into Mighty Thor, as her namesake bequeaths her Mjolnir. With Christian Bale’s Gorr The God Butcher also arriving in the MCU, Thor and Jane will rely on Mjolnir’s power to defeat this ancient evil.

Bruce Banner – No

Bruce Banner’s ability to lift Mjolnir has long relied on technicalities, but in his current MCU state, he is nowhere near capable of wielding the hammer. Despite being a critical component of both the old and new Avengers teams, the Hulk has never been able to lift Mjolnir in the MCU even with his immense strength. In Marvel Comics, the Hulk successfully lifts Mjolnir off the ground while Thor is gripping the hammer, allowing him to wield the hammer through Thor’s presence. However, this skirts the rules of Mjolnir’s worthiness theory instead of ordaining the Hulk as a character that can lift Mjolnir at will. While Banner’s appearance at the end of Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings suggests he has found a way to stabilize his Hulk transformation healthily, there is yet to be any evidence presented to suggest Mjolnir now sees Bruce Banner as worthy, while he is yet to appear as the Hulk in phase 4.

Captain Marvel – No (Yet)

As with the Hulk, Captain Marvel has never been able to wield Mjolnir in the Marvel canon willingly, and certainly not in the MCU thus far. In an isolated incident in the Marvel Comics, Captain Marvel once used Mjolnir to battle the Kree supervillain Vox Supreme as he tried to destroy the Avengers, but even then, she had been temporarily infused with Thor’s DNA to prepare her for the fight. In phase 4, the character of Captain Marvel remains Earth’s celestial guardian and one of the strongest heroes in the MCU to date. As with Captain America before her, she looks to be the de-facto leader of the phase 4 Avengers and the embodiment of their best qualities, so it would not be surprising to see Mjolnir deem her worthy in Earth’s next time of need.

Spider-Man – Yes

If there is one character who perhaps should be able to lift Mjolnir freely, it is Peter Parker, who, even by MCU standards, has shown a heart of gold time and again under his Spidey suit. Tom Holland’s MCU Spider-Man differs greatly from the comics version, as he has actually held Mjolnir off the ground, albeit very briefly and with some assistance. In Avengers: Endgame, Captain America throws Mjolnir to Spidey, allowing the hammer to pull him out of harm’s way and into the path of Valkyrie’s flying horse. While Peter did not choose to lift Mjolnir, he instinctively held the hammer, and more importantly, Mjolnir let him rather than dragging him back to the ground. This opens up a very interesting contingency for the MCU’s phase 4, where Peter has wielded Mjolnir without actively trying, which could be the very thing that made him capable of such a feat. As a result, it would appear that Spider-Man has been deemed worthy in the MCU canon and can lift Mjolnir – he just doesn’t know it yet.

Doctor Strange – No

Doctor Strange very much exists in the realms of Captain America and the Hulk when it comes to whether or not he can lift Mjolnir. While Doctor Strange is the Sorcerer Supreme and one of the most powerful beings in the MCU, his magical abilities count for very little when assessing his worthiness to lift Mjolnir. In Marvel Comics, Doctor Strange has been able to lift the hammer off the ground in an immensely strenuous feat of telekinesis, but this did not grant him the power of Thor that Mjolnir contains, acting as a stark reminder that all true holders of Mjolnir must be chosen. While the good doctor has undoubtedly aided Thor across the latter stages of the MCU’s phase 3 and will continue as a key Avenger in phase 4, there is no evidence to suggest he will lift Mjolnir unaided in the foreseeable future.

Wong – No

Wong is shaping up to be a very prominent member of the phase 4 Avengers, having learned of Shang-Chi’s power following his battle against Dweller-in-Darkness. Yet despite being an accomplished sorcerer in his own right, there is simply no way Wong could lift Mjolnir. Whereas the most gifted sorcerors in the Marvel canon, such as Doctor Strange and Magneto, have lifted Mjolnir with their mind, Wong does not exist on their power level and therefore is incapable of lifting the great hammer, even by unconventional means. There is no doubt Wong has been a catalyst for much of the good in the MCU, but there are other, far-worthier candidates more likely to be chosen by Mjolnir based on the purity of heart alone.

Shang-Chi – No

The newest member to the phase 4 Avengers, Shang-Chi wielding Mjolnir is certainly an interesting proposition. The MCU’s Shang-Chi is a virtuous character torn by familial conflicts, whose internal struggle and subsequent rise to heroism mean he is worthy to carry the Ten Rings of Power. While Shang-Chi wields the magical artifact of the Ten Rings masterfully, lifting Mjolnir is a different proposition entirely due to the strong will of the hammer. With MCU stalwarts such as Captain America needing years of interaction with Mjolnir for the hammer to choose them, Shang-Chi remains unable to wield Mjolnir in the MCU‘s phase 4 for now.