It takes a special kind of person to be deserving of the power stored within Thor’s mighty hammer, Mjolnir. Thanks to the enchantment spell placed upon the hammer by Odin, a hero must be noble and pure to be deemed worthy. Weilding Mjolnir is such a big deal that even Thor was unable to lift his own hammer for a brief moment in the originalThormovie, because he wasn’t taking the responsiblity seriously.
There’s been a small number of characters in the MCU with the power to lift Mjolnir, including Steve Rogers, Vision, and Hela, but some Marvel heroes have proven themselves to be even more worthy than any of these three people. The five characters below have earned the right to lift Mjolnir through their upstanding character, bravery and willingness to protect others.
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Valkyrie
Valkyrie has spent a large portion of her life defending the Asgardian people. She stood with her fellow warriors against Hela after she betrayed her father Odin and tried to destroy all of Asgard. Even though Valkyrie failed to beat Hela in their first battle and spent years in turmoil because of it, she had the courage to face her a second time inThor: Ragnarok. If it weren’t for Valkyrie, the Asgardian people might not have lived to tell the tale.
Not to mention, she was personally chosen by Thor himself to be the new king of Asgard when he decided to give up his throne. If Thor believes her to be a worthy ruler of his people, and maybe even a better ruler than he was, Valkyrie should definitely be able to lift Mjolnir.
Valkyrie did lift the hammer in the Marvel comics, but she has yet to possess that ability in the MCU. She’s set to make an appearance inThor: Love and Thunder, so fans might finally get to see her wield the power of Mjolnir in the upcoming film.
Sam Wilson
Sam Wilson is arguably the most noble character in the MCU right now. All he’s ever done is protect people and do his best to save lives, including Karli, who was technically the “villain” ofThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierseries. Sam doesn’t have any super-strength or godlike abilities. It’s not his power that makes him a hero, it’s his upstanding character and his willingness to see the good in everyone.
Sam’s commitment to helping Bucky through one of the hardest times in his life, despite the fact that the two of them got off to a pretty bad start, goes to show how much Sam cares about the well-being of others.
BecomingCaptain Americawasn’t an easy choice for Sam, but he still took up the mantle in spite of his own reservations because he wanted to make a difference in the world. His epic speech in the final episode ofThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier proves he’s not in the hero business for power or glory. By always speaking up for those who have been unfairly treated, Sam has definitely shown himself to be worthy of Mjolnir.
Okoye
Okoye’s extreme loyalty to Wakanda has always been unwavering. Even whenKillmonger took the throne, she followed her heart by abandoning him, because she knew it wasn’t right for her people. She was even willing to fight her beloved, W’Kabi, for the sake of protecting Wakanda and those who inhabit it.
Her tough exterior makes her an excellent warrior and her incredible fighting skills, in combination with her sense of duty to the Wakandan people, make her worthy of lifting Mjolnir. Thor wields the hammer as king, because of his commitment to protecting people within the Nine Realms. However, Okoye’s dedication toWakandacould easily rival Thor’s dedication to Asgard.
Peter Parker
AlthoughPeter Parkerhas some incredible superhuman abilities, he’s still just a kid. Peter doesn’t have the same level of training and experience that a lot of other (and older) MCU heroes do, but he was still willing to put himself in danger for the sake of protecting others. Even before Tony took him under his wing, Peter was doing everything in his power to become the best superhero he could be.
Having the courage to take on the burdens associated with a life of heroism is no easy task for anyone, especially not for someone still in high school. Peter’s dedication to becoming a hero made him enemies before he even celebrated his sixteenth birthday, but he faced these challenges head on.
Much like Sam, Peter has yet to commit any major atrocities that turn him intoone of Marvel’s anti-heroes, or even a villain. He’s as squeaky clean as they come, so after he’s had the chance to grow up a little more, Peter should certainly be one of the few worthy wielders of Mjolnir.
Groot
In the originalGuardians of the Galaxymovie, Groot did the most selfless thing a hero can do: he put himself at risk to save the lives of his friends. Groot proved himself to be a true hero when he created a shield around the Guardians and splintered into a million pieces.
Even though Groot was lucky enough to survive and be reborn as the fan-favorite Baby Groot, he fully expected the moments of the crash to be his last. This scene was reminiscent of Steve jumping on what he believed to be an active grenade inCaptain America: The First Avenger. All Marvel fans know that Steve’s self-sacrificial ways are what earned him both the title as Captain America and the ability to lift Mjolnir. It seems only fair that Groot is able to wield the hammer, as well.
