Why Thor Was Worthy In The MCU Broken Down By A Philosophy Expert

One of the key traits of Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is his worthiness to wield Mjolnir – a concept that a philosophy expert has explored in depth. Although Thor is one of the MCU’s most powerful superheroes without the enchanted Uru hammer Mjolnir, the magic weapon focuses his weather-controlling abilities, is invaluable in combat, and can determine if one is worthy to wield it. What worthiness entails and who is worthy of Mjolnir, however, are concepts that the MCU often brings up without directly defining them.

Worthiness is a concept used in connection with Mjolnir throughout the original Marvel comics and the MCU timeline as a source of expressing and developing characters, setting up dramatic moments, and even humorous scenes. Thor needed to re-earn his worthiness in his 2011 Thor movie debut, the Avengers jokingly test their worthiness by taking turns attempting to lift the hammer in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and several of Thor’s allies manage to prove their worthiness and lift the weapon in key scenes. Mark D. White, Ph.D., a philosophy expert and editor of superhero comics, explored what makes Thor and other wielders of Mjolnir worthy of the weapon in an article for Psychology Today.

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Why Thor Was Worthy, According To An Expert

The Elements Of Worthiness

Dr. White’s article focuses on Thor’s adventures in the mainstream Marvel universe, also known as Earth-616. Using backup stories in Journey into Mystery issues 100-102 (by Stan Lee, Larry Leiber, and Jack Kirby) and issue 14 of Thor volume 5 (by Jason Aaron and Scott Hepburn), he determines that the three traits that make someone worthy of Mjolnir are selflessness, sacrifice, and heroism without thinking. Throughout Thor’s many adventures, he demonstrates selflessness and a willingness to sacrifice himself, putting his life on the line countless times to protect the innocent from threats ranging from the mundane to the cosmic. It is the third trait that is the most complex and intriguing.

The Third Key Trait That Makes One Worthy

In the published examples listed, Dr. White notes that Thor proves himself worthy on two separate occasions when he lifts Mjolnir without thinking when Sif and Freyja are in danger on two separate occasions. This third trait, described as “doing without thinking” or “acting without self-awareness,” is likened to the concept of wei wu wei in Taoist philosophy. The concept essentially means achieving goals without consciously striving to do so. Dr. White uses the example of finding happiness not by forcing oneself to be happy, but rather by engaging in activities that make one happy, allowing a person to be happy without thinking about doing so.

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Thor & His Allies Demonstrate Worthiness Without Self-Awareness

These same concepts apply to Thor in not only the comics but also the MCU. Thor regains his worthiness in the 2011 film in a moment of unthinking selfless sacrifice, facing down The Destroyer without his powers to protect Jane Foster and his newfound human friends. Vision, similarly, proves his worthiness in Age of Ultron by lifting Mjolnir nonchalantly while preparing to face the lethal AI Ultron. Steve Rogers, despite having already partially proven his worthiness in Age of Ultron, demonstrates it again and more clearly for Avengers: Endgame in a another unthinking moment while battling Thanos.