Which Characters Were Able To Wield Thor's Mjolnir In The MCU? Explored

Since Mjolnir's original introduction in Marvel's Thor, the fabled hammer has been owned by numerous characters, and the MCU frequently makes a great deal out of each one of them.

Published on Mar 26, 2024  |  10:09 PM IST |  38.4K
Get To Know Which Characters In MCU Have Picked Up Thor's Hammer, Mjolnir
Thor (PC: IMDb)

This is due in large part to the spell that Odin bestowed upon Mjolnir, which prevents anybody deemed "unworthy" from being able to wield the hammer and has sparked heated discussions about which characters deserve to own Mjolnir. Those fortunate enough to possess this magical weapon know that it may wreak immense destruction with the correct amount of skill.

The same cosmic metal known as Uru, which was formed from a dying star and used to make Stormbreaker in Avengers: Infinity War, is the basis for Mjolnir. Despite having different origins, Mjolnir has been revealed to have strength comparable to vibranium in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This was demonstrated when Mjolnir struck Captain America's shield in The Avengers. It goes without saying that having it at one's disposal is a strong tool, but using it effectively is not easy. Mjolnir has only been used by a small number of characters and in very varied situations. Before Odin's enchantment added another level of complexity to the hammer's lore, most people were probably able to lift Mjolnir.

Odin

1. Odin 

The Dwarves of Nidavellir crafted Mjolnir for the Asgardian royal family, and Odin was the first owner. Hela briefly held the hammer from him until he banished his daughter to Hel. He then took back Mjolnir before giving it to Thor. The last time we saw Odin wielding Mjolnir, he was casting the Worthy Enchantment down to Midgard and whispering it. Odin would use the hammer he knew his son depended on so much as leverage to make Thor a better king and hero overall, and this would prove to be one of his greatest moments.

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He would later reinforce this lesson when he appeared to Thor in a vision after his death, solidifying Thor's separation from Mjolnir with the straightforward inquiry, "Are you Thor, God of Hammers?" Odin gave Mjolnir two distinct purposes in Thor: a tool for construction and a means for destruction. Of these, he alone employed the former, while all other Mjolnir-wielding characters would utilize it as a weapon. Naturally, this is an appropriate role for the deceased God of Wisdom.

Hela

2. Hela

Hela's key MCU debut saw her destroy one of the MCU's most potent weapons as soon as she set foot on Midgard. Hela used her outstretched hand to stop Mjolnir from hitting him full force. She gripped the hammer and let it burst. But rather than being deserving of holding Mjolnir, the scene showed how Hela's strength exceeded that of the fabled hammer.

Centuries before her younger brother assumed control, Hela wielded Mjolnir during Asgard's bloody conquest of the Nine Realms. Thor: Ragnarok features ceiling paintings that show Mjolnir's involvement in Hela and Odin's battles against the other realms' defenders. This indicates that Mjolnir had a very uneven past in the MCU because it was not subjected to Odin's worthiness enchantment at the time.

Thor

3. Thor

Mjolnir is intrinsically linked to Thor's MCU career since he begins his arc trying to earn the hammer after Odin's cruel spell. Many years of MCU history have seen much conjecture over what specifically changed Thor from undeserving of Mjolnir to being worthy, even in the depths of his post-Snap misery (something by which he was pleasantly shocked). This speculation has been based on his actions in his premiere solo film. After misplacing his renowned hammer multiple times, Thor finally obtained Mjolnir after Thor: Love and Thunder.

As of right now, Thor is in possession of two legendary weapons made by the Dwarves of Nidavellir, and he appears to have given Love, his adopted daughter, the heavy Stormbreaker for the time being. With Mjolnir back in his hands and a wealth of hard-earned lessons under his belt, Thor's MCU adventure is about to reach a gratifying conclusion. It's still being determined if this happens in Thor 5, but watching how Thor now handles the hammer that he used to rely on will be intriguing.

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Vision

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4. Vision

Thor, Mjolnir, and other characters contributed to creating Vision, the synthezoid. Even though Ultron was supposed to use his body as his last host, the Avengers managed to take back his body before he was given life, and they promptly promised to defend mankind in opposition to Ultron's strategies for bringing about "peace in our time." This culmination was Vision's seemingly effortless lifting of the hammer, which earlier in Avengers: Age of Ultron prevented the other Avengers from accomplishing the same due to its worthiness enchantment.

When Vision used Mjolnir again in the Sokovia combat against Ultron, he said it was "terribly well-balanced." His grasp of Mjolnir contributes to the explanation of the worthiness clause. When Odin's enchantment was cast upon Mjolnir, Vision and the other wielders shared a desire to save humanity at the cost of their own lives. As an alternative, another hypothesis contends that Vision is more like the coat hook that "held" Mjolnir in Thor: Love and Thunder because he is a machine, not a person.

Captain America

5. Captain America

One of the most iconic scenes in the MCU occurred when Steve Rogers called upon Mjolnir during the Battle of Earth in Avengers: Endgame, just as Thor was on the verge of being overpowered by Thanos. The fact that Rogers was unable to raise Mjolnir with the other Avengers in Avengers: Age of Ultron added to the satisfaction of the payout. Some have conjectured that Rogers purposefully refrained from lifting Mjolnir at the moment, demonstrating the selflessness that probably added to his deservingness. When Thor first grasped Mjolnir's grip, he exclaimed, "I knew it!" which seemed to prove this.

Later, Captain America would expertly use the hammer to defeat Thanos, but ultimately, he would lose. By calling forth lightning with Mjolnir, Rogers demonstrated one aspect of the enchantment that grants its owner the "power of Thor." Restoring the Infinity Stones and Mjolnir and other items the Avengers had taken from the past would also benefit from Cap's carrying of Mjolnir. In the meantime, someone else would eventually lay claim to the present-day Mjolnir.

Jane Foster

6. Jane Foster

Thor: Love and Thunder debuted with Jane Foster's take on the Thor persona after obtaining Mjolnir, known as "The Mighty Thor." This was supposedly due to Thor's sub-enchantment in Mjolnir when he begged the hammer to keep Foster safe from death. This caused Mjolnir to rebuild after being detonated by Hela and gave Foster the ability to employ Thor's power after learning that she had breast cancer. Unfortunately, it turned out that Mjolnir's influence made things worse, and by the time the film ended, Foster had passed away before she could join the other deceased Asgardians in Valhalla.

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One may argue that Foster deserved the right to wield Mjolnir even without Thor's intervention. Jane quickly started using her newly acquired abilities to support the weak, placing herself in peril during Gorr's shadow monster invasion of New Asgard. Foster also gave her own life at the end of Thor: Love and Thunder to save the Asgardian children and thwart Gorr's plans to kill. Like Thor, Captain America, and Vision, Foster also possesses bravery, selflessness, and a readiness to help the weaker characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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ALSO READ: Did Reacher Star Alan Ritchson Blow His Audition For MCU's Thor? Actor Gets Candid

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