The Russo Brothers on why Cap could pull off that mighty move in Endgame

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

*Spoilers for Avengers: Endgame*

Across the three-hour runtime of AVENGERS: ENDGAME there are tons of cheer-worthy moments, and the one that made audiences erupt more than any other was when Captain America/Steve Rogers lifted Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, and proceeded to kick Thanos' ass. It’s a triumphant, heroic, and all-around badass moment that answers questions fans have had since AGE OF ULTRON when Cap tried to lift it and almost succeeded. But now he put the hammer down like the God of Thunder, and the matter is closed and all is well – except not because directors Joe and Anthony Russo explained why he was able to lift the hammer, and in the process sparked what will likely be an unending debate in the fan community.

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To go back a few years, fans know the only person who had been able to lift the hammer was Thor himself, as he was the only one worthy enough to do so. In AGE OF ULTRON, the rest of the Avengers play a game during a party where they all try and lift it, and all fail to do so. Cap is the only one to get close, with it wiggling a bit before ultimately staying put, much to Thor’s relief. **It is worth noting that later in the movie, Vision was able to lift it and prove himself to the Avengers (and uses it once on Ultron), but moving on.**

While speaking with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast (via Uproxx), directors Joe and Anthony Russo talked about the scene in ENDGAME, with Joe saying they drew inspiration from the party scene in ULTRON.

“I think it goes all the way back to Ultron. I think everyone who’s a Marvel fan, in that moment where Cap tested the hammer, felt deep down in their heart that he was worthy and that he could potentially lift that, and boy wouldn’t it be special one day if he did. And obviously if you create drama around the circumstances of him wielding the hammer, and then kicking Thanos’ ass for 30 seconds after that, we felt like we could create a risible moment for the audience.”

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Of course, after the awesomeness settled it was natural to wonder why now he was able to pick up the hammer. Hasn’t Captain America always been a worthy soul to wield the mighty hammer? His moral compass has always been true, and he's as honorable as they come. He hadn’t even used naughty language up to that point for gosh sakes. Turns out, according to the duo, Cap has always been worthy, but in that ULTRON scene, he didn’t want to make his pal feel bad after realizing he could lift the hammer and summon some patriotic lightning.

“In our heads he was able to wield it, and he didn’t know that until that moment [in] Ultron when he tried to pick it up. But Cap’s sense of character and his sense of humility, sort of out of deference to Thor’s ego, you know Cap in that moment realizing he can move the hammer decides not to.”

You can see it that way, for sure. Maybe Cap was worthy and just didn’t want to – ahem – steal Thor’s thunder, and thus just played it coy, which does seem like a Cap move. But then how would he know he could lift it without having done it before? Could he feel the lightning surging through him the second he touched the handle, but was just like "Nah, better not"? But if you’re in the other camp, and believe he just wasn’t worthy (or just not worthy enough) at the time, then why wasn’t he? Was it the unfinished business with Bucky that made for a gap in his Honor Meter that made fully lifting it impossible? I suspect this will all make for a healthy debate on the internet…that is until Joss Whedon, ULTRON’s writer/director, chimes in.

AVENGERS: ENDGAME is in theaters now.