Out of all the fan-pleasing moments packed into Avengers: Endgame’s three-hour runtime, few got as loud a cheer from audiences across the world as the scene where Captain America finally wields Mjolnir. But once filmgoers had calmed down a little and taken the time to reflect on what they’d seen, many argued that Steve Rogers’ ability to summon lightning with the hammer contradicts what 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok taught us about the God of Thunder’s abilities.
As it turns out, this supposed inconsistency wasn’t lost on co-writer Christopher Markus, who explained in a recent interview with /Film that the moment was considered too good to fret about whether or not it made complete sense:
“There was certainly a debate at one point because particularly in Ragnarok, it establishes that Thor can summon the lightning without the hammer. I think Odin even says, ‘It was never the hammer.’ And yet Cap summons the lightning with the hammer. You get to those things and you’re like, ‘It’s too awesome not to do it! We’ll talk about it later.’”
Though Marvel fans can be notoriously fussy about these little details, most viewers would likely agree that this slight rewriting of MCU mythology was worth it if it meant seeing Cap summon lightning in the fight against Thanos.
Executive producer Trinh Tran also shared a few thoughts on the moment where Steve lifts Mjolnir, recalling how actor Chris Evans was visibly thrilled to film the sequence:
“I remember how excited Chris was. Obviously he’s read his scene and knew what was going to happen, but when you’re standing there holding it and lifting it up, it’s a pretty amazing feeling. I think the excitement on him was so captivating. I know there were certain moments – people portal-ing in, him holding the hammer – there are certain moments where they’re so excited, and having him lift it up was gratifying knowing that what we had teased in Ultron kind of came to an end in terms of, he really can lift it. I can’t describe it.”
Of course, Evans and Chris Hemsworth weren’t the only MCU stars we saw carrying Mjolnir this year. At July’s San Diego Comic-Con, we also witnessed Natalie Portman wielding the mighty hammer during a panel announcing Jane Foster as the next Thor.
We’ll find out how Portman fares in the role when Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters on November 5th, 2021. As for Captain America, though Avengers: Endgame brought some closure to the journey of Steve Rogers, you can see his successor in action when The Falcon and the Winter Soldier comes to Disney Plus in the fall of next year.