Avengers: Endgame saw all the heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe coming together to fight Thanos and his armies and stop him from wiping out half of life in the universe again, and while some fans have debated 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 he could fulfill his plan of bringing balance to the universe by vanishing half of life in the universe.

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The Infinity Saga reached its peak with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, both 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 Stormbreaker, the axe he created in Nidavellir with the help of Groot, Rocket, and Eitri (Peter Dinklage), and Endgame saw the surviving heroes reversing Thanos’ snap and latter teaming up with the returning heroes to fight Thanos and his different armies in the Battle of Earth.

The Battle of Earth is the biggest the MCU has seen so far, and with every character fighting against someone 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. Cap then fought the Mad Titan with his shield and Mjolnir, 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 axe isn’t enchanted as Mjolnir is, and others believe Thanos lifted Mjolnir (although briefly) and have even argued that he would be worthy of doing so, but in reality, Thanos didn’t even try to take the hammer because he knew he wasn’t worthy of it.

While fighting Captain America, there’s a quick moment where Thanos seems to grab Mjolnir and throw it far away, but when looking closer at the frame, Thanos is actually blocking Cap’s hit with the hammer by grabbing Cap’s hand, not the hammer, this as the Mad Titan is aware he wouldn’t be able to lift it. Although it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly would make someone worthy of using Mjolnir, as it’s ultimately something determined by Odin, who placed the enchantment on the hammer, some believe one’s worthiness is measured by traits like courage, honor, and selflessness, which 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, and 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, so whether Thanos would have been able to lift it or not will continue to be debated among fans.

Key Release Dates
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  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
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About The Author


Adrienne Tyler
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Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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