Endgame Detail Proves Thanos Knew He Couldn’t Lift Mjolnir – Theory Explained

Avengers: Endgame saw all the heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe come together to fight Thanos and his armies and stop him from wiping out half of life in the universe again. But can Thanos lift Mjolnir? While there’s been debate about whether Thanos grabbed Mjolnir during the battle or not, there’s one detail that shows he didn’t because he knew he wasn’t worthy of it. The first three phases of the MCU, collectively known as the Infinity Saga, were all about Thanos’ quest to acquire the Infinity Stones and the Infinity Gauntlet so that he could fulfill his plan of bringing balance to the universe by vanishing half of all life.

The Infinity Saga reached its peak with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and both movies centered on Thanos finally getting the Stones and the Gauntlet and fulfilling his plans while the already established superheroes did their best to stop him and later reverse the Mad Titan’s actions. Infinity War saw the vanishing of many of the MCU’s heroes after Thor came very close to killing Thanos by stabbing him in the chest with the ax he created in Nidavellir with the help of Groot, Rocket, and Eitri (Peter Dinklage), a powerful weapon called Stormbreaker. Endgame saw the surviving heroes reversing Thanos’ snap and later teaming up with the returning heroes to fight Thanos and his different armies in the Battle of Earth.

The Battle of Earth was the biggest the MCU had seen so far. With every character fighting against someone else at all times, it’s easy to lose track of what they all did. One of the most memorable moments not only from the Battle of Earth but Avengers: Endgame in general was when Captain America proved he was worthy of lifting Mjolnir and used the hammer to save Thor from being stabbed in the chest with Stormbreaker. It was then that Captain America wielded Mjolnir to fight the Mad Titan along with his shield, and that’s when confusion begins. Many viewers have pointed out that Thanos was able to lift Stormbreaker without a problem, but this is because the ax isn’t enchanted as Mjolnir is. Others believe Thanos lifted Mjolnir (although briefly) and have even argued that he would be worthy of doing so. So, can Thanos lift Mjolnir? In reality, Thanos didn’t even try to take the hammer because he knew he wasn’t worthy of it.

Why Some People Think Thanos Lifted Mjolnir

While fighting Cap, there’s a moment where Thanos seems to grab Mjolnir and throw it far away, but can Thanos lift Mjolnir like that? Technically, when looking closer at the frame, Thanos is actually blocking Cap’s hit with the hammer by grabbing his hand, not the hammer. Clearly, Thanos is aware he wouldn’t be able to lift it. Although it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly makes someone worthy of using Mjolnir, as it’s ultimately determined by Odin, who placed the enchantment on the hammer, some believe one’s worthiness is measured by traits like courage, honor, and selflessness. This is why Thor was unworthy during his first solo movie. Others, however, believe that worthiness is determined by each person, meaning that whoever truly believes they’re worthy of lifting Mjolnir will be able to do so, so with that in mind, Thanos would have been able to use the hammer.

Even if worthiness is determined by each person, that’s something Thanos wouldn’t know, so he played it safe by holding Captain America’s hand rather than the hammer. The scene where it looks like he throws Mjolnir far away is actually because he punches Cap so hard the hammer just flies away. It’s hard to say if the MCU will ever explore what truly makes someone worthy of using Mjolnir (since the rules behind Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor transformation aren’t exactly clear), so whether Thanos would have been able to lift it or not will likely continue to be a subject of debate.

Could A Thanos Variant Lift Mjolnir?

While the primary Thanos from Earth-616’s universe was defeated and was never worthy to lift Mjolnir, it’s possible that a future (or existing) variant of Thanos could. What If…? season 1, episode 2 showed a reformed Thanos who was pals with T’Challa’s Star-Lord and had clearly avoided the homicidal tendencies of his counterpart. With his desire for universal balance and peace redirected toward healthier channels, it’s possible that Thanos would be worthy of Mjolnir, especially without clear guidelines on how worthiness is judged. With the Multiverse now a central MCU feature, Thanos could reappear again with a much different personality. It’s also worth noting that because the MCU has moved beyond Thanos as its biggest threat, the weight of his being able to lift Mjolnir or not has diminished. Since he’s not the most powerful being in the MCU by even a long shot, it doesn’t feel as significant that Thanos couldn’t lift Mjolnir in Avengers: Endgame.