With Captain America wielding Mjolnir and possessing superhuman strength, how close is he to Thor’s abilities in Avengers: Endgame?
With Mjolnir, how powerful is Captain America? In Avengers: Endgame, MCU fans were treated to seeing Captain America finally wield Mjolnir in his battle against Thanos and subsequently gain the powers of Thor for a short period of time. This confrontation raises an interesting question concerning Captain America’s current level of power. Is Captain America temporarily more powerful than the God of Thunder due to his super-soldier status, or is he still not as powerful as Thor? From their combat tactics to how they individually capture Mjolnir, there’s a lot to think about here.
Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man face battle against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame’s climatic last act in an attempt to keep him from finding the Infinity Stones buried with Hawkeye beneath the debris of the Avengers facility. A hand reaches down to grasp Mjolnir before flinging the massive hammer towards Thanos at a crucial moment when all hope appears to be lost for Thor. Captain America is revealed to be worthy, completing a storyline that began in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The pitcher is none other than Steve Rogers. Following that, Captain America puts on a masterful show of Thor’s abilities, using thunder, lightning, whirlwind maneuvers, and his own Vibranium shield to fight the Mad Titan.
Is it true, though, that Cap and Thor are equally powerful when they wield Mjolnir? And, if not, how powerful is Captain America when he wields the hammer compared to Thor? There’s a lot to be written about the inscription on Mjolnir itself, and how it can influence what Captain America can accomplish when wielding the hammer. Mjolnir bestows Thor’s powers to Captain America, but how does the former compare to the latter, especially given Thor’s shifting power levels throughout the MCU?
Thor’s Hammer wielded by Captain America In Avengers: Endgame, Mjolnir appears. First and foremost, one must analyze and decipher the inscription carved into Mjolnir. In the first Thor film, Odin gives the most accurate interpretation of this. After sending Thor to Earth after a foolish expedition to Jotunheim, Odin recites the inscription, saying, “Whoever bears this hammer, if he be worthy, shall acquire the power of Thor.” This raises a second, potentially more potent question: what is Thor’s power? Thor has demonstrated various critical abilities throughout his time in the MCU, both with Stormbreaker and Mjolnir, and some of these are seen when Captain America gains possession of the hammer.
In particular, spectators will see Captain America use Thor’s mastery of lightning and electricity to rain down destruction on Thanos throughout their battle. Does this imply that Captain America, wielding Mjolnir, is as powerful as Thor? Mjolnir was only ever intended to be used as a conduit for Thor’s true power, according to an interaction between Thor and Odin during Hela’s assault on Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok, implying that this is what Captain America inherits the most, rather than the Asgardian’s physiology, durability, strength, or ability to fly. While Captain America can mimic Thor’s most known power, that does not mean he possesses the strength to rival the Asgardian, especially given his increasing power level during his MCU character arc.
As spectacular as it was to see Captain America raise Mjolnir and use it to temporarily destroy Thanos, the Star-Spangled Avenger still pales in comparison to his Asgardian counterpart. Thor’s strength remains far greater than Captain America’s, and the arrival of his newest weapon, Stormbreaker, has further added to that. Despite his early concerns in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor remains far more powerful than Captain America, thanks to his ability to harness the Bifrost and teleport around the cosmos.
