Why Captain America Could Wield Stormbreaker (Without Dying)

Here’s why Captain America is able to wield Stormbreaker in Avengers: Endgame without dying, in spite of Thor’s warning. For most fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one of the best moments of Avengers: Endgame came when Chris Evans’ super-soldier picked up Mjolnir to fight Thanos. The battle paid off a tease from Avengers: Age of Ultron, which suggested Captain America might be worthy enough to wield Thor’s powerful hammer, but that wasn’t the only weapon belonging to the Asgardian that he used.

Captain America was also shown using Stormbreaker (briefly) during the final battle of Avengers: Endgame. The giant ax became Thor’s weapon of choice after he had Eitri the Dwarf create it for him in Avengers: Infinity War. The quest to create Stormbreaker came from Thor’s desire to create a weapon capable of killing Thanos, but it also resulted in the Guardians of the Galaxy suggesting that all of them should have something that could kill the Mad Titan. As good of a plan as that might be, Thor said that this wasn’t possible since they “simply lack the strength to wield them. Your bodies will crumble as your minds collapse into the madness.”

Thor is already widely regarded as one of the MCU’s most powerful characters, but this line and his ability to wield Stormbreaker infers that not even someone like Peter Quill (who is part Celestial and held an Infinity Stone without dying) could do the same. Yet, Avengers: Endgame has Captain America momentarily use Stormbreaker. This raises a question regarding how Steve is capable of wielding the Nidavellir weapon without dying. The answer might be two-fold: Captain America is a super-soldier and had the strength to hold Mjolnir before.

If holding Stormbreaker is a matter of simple strength, then Captain America wielding it is all the more impressive. The MCU has shown Captain America’s strength in a variety of ways over the years, as he was even able to block a punch from the Mad Titan, but he might be even stronger now than previously realized. The only characters in the MCU to hold the weapon in their hand are Thor and Thanos, who briefly catches Stormbreaker and uses it to impale the god of thunder. His origins as a human make this feat all the more impressive in comparison to the god-like figures who previously held Stormbreaker. There also appears to be some mental strength required too based on the end of Thor’s warning, so that part of Steve didn’t come from a bottle.

The other aspect of Captain America that could explain his ability to hold Stormbreaker is that he also previously held Mjolnir. Although the creations and enchantments of Thor’s weapons are different, the power levels they give the user are similar. It is confirmed that one doesn’t have to be worthy to pick up Stormbreaker (which is how Groot managed to lift the head of the ax in the first place). But, it can’t hurt that Captain America has already proved his worthiness and had the power of Thor coursing through his veins throughout that battle. Stormbreaker is the more powerful weapon of the two, after all.

Since Avengers: Endgame concluded with Captain America taking Mjolnir back it’s rightful place in time, Thor will continue to use Stormbreaker in the MCU moving forward. When the god of thunder returns in Thor: Love and Thunder, it will be fascinating to see if any other characters (like Jane Foster or the heavily speculated debut of Beta Ray Bill) have a chance to pick up Stormbreaker. If so, then maybe the truth behind Thor’s line from Avengers: Infinity War will become more clear.

About The Author

Cooper Hood
(5616 Articles Published)

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

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