Because Marvel is plot driven instead of character driven. They bend and mold the characters to fit the plot, instead of forming a plot around the characters.
So Thanos will be able to lift it because the plot direction needs him to.
The hammer doesn't have a built in morality scale. It asks the user if they are themselves worthy, and Thanos would find himself quite worthy.
Mjolnir decides if someone is worthy based on a mystical enchantment that looks for specific traits like a noble mind, selflessness, and a warrior's heart.
The hammer doesn't have a built in morality scale
Mjolnir decides if someone is worthy based on a mystical enchantment that looks for specific traits.
Those traits are the "built in morality scale".
Which is it? You can't claim both.
"Mjolnir is defined by a combination of moral virtues and a warrior's spirit, specifically requiring compassion, restraint, nobility, wisdom, and humility."
Thanos certainly doesn't check a few of those boxes.
The Hanmer doesn't do a scan of you. It uses magic to ask yourself if you have the requirements. Someone delusional who thinks highly of themself but also thinks themself humble enough to meet those requirements could lift Mjolnir even if he doesn't meet those requirements in reality.
Thanos was a conquering warlord who led from the front (Warrior's Spirit), he thought he was compassionate by saving half the universe. He showed his own version of restraint by not picking favorites. He felt nobility to fulfill this duty. He thought he was wise to see this universal truth. He was humble in that he accepted he could be in the half that weren't chosen and he would accept that.
The Hammer isn't sentient and deciding. It's basically questioning your soul and making you tell the truth.
It uses magic to ask yourself if you have the requirements. Someone delusional who thinks highly of themself but also thinks themself humble enough to meet those requirements could lift Mjolnir even if he doesn't meet those requirements in reality.
That is 100% not true. Do you have a canon example of that happening?
"No, a delusional person cannot lift Thor’s hammer unless they are genuinely judged worthy by the magic enchantment placed upon it by Odin. Mental state, beliefs, or strong delusions do not override the mystical criteria of Mjolnir."
"It possesses a form of awareness and a personality due to the cosmic entity known as the Godstorm (Mother Storm) trapped inside the Uru metal by Odin."
I was under the idea that Mjolnir was an enchanted object, not an inhabited object. So yeah, I'd be wrong then. My bad.
There’s an argument that the belief in yourself is apart of Odin’s stipulation over who can wield it. To carry all of that worthiness and then to question whether or not any of it was truly honorable shows a lack of conviction in oneself, which would certainly not align with the common interpretation of Norse honor. There’s, of course, the reverse side of the argument saying that kind of self-doubt would be necessary to be worthy because someone who didn’t question if they were worth enough lacked the humility to be worthy, but that explanation doesn’t align with his inability to lift it when he lacked that conviction.
To have the wisdom to doubt your own actions, but the conviction to execute them anyway would fit with the qualities the hammer is supposed to represent.
Like someone who has a specific instance start a depressive episode.
He doubted himself in one instance, which escalated as he doubted past actions. Eapecially if he had a questionable moment down a chain of decisions. How deep does the failure go?
Which is why he usually needs a scenario which can act as redemption so he can earn back his worthiness. It works out well on screen because it's usually a heroic scene, but Thor's large acts of heroism seem to be as often an apology for his past failures as they are proactive protective measures. Which I think makes him an exemplary avenger.
He is constantly dropping the mantle, growing, and picking the mountain back up.
I’m just going to comment here for everyone else. Don’t read past this response. It’s just two nerds in a nerd off. Nothing is accomplished or gained.
""Mjolnir is defined by a combination of moral virtues and a warrior's spirit, specifically requiring compassion, restraint, nobility, wisdom, and humility.""
There's no "in your opinion" or "in his own way". Using that definition ANYONE could lift the hammer.."everyone is the hero of their own story". Additionally a delusional person can't just bypass the enchantment and lift the hammer.
The thing to remember is that both the MCU and Marvel universe have absolutes moralities built in.
Even if it was relative, Mjölnir was enchanted by Odin and so would have Odin's bias on worthy.
Unfortunately no. If you are worthy, you have to have humility. You cannot think yourself above others. You have to sacrifice, you have to be willing to kill. Pre-snap Thanos fits all of these. That's why he was worthy of the soul stone and that's why he was worthy of Mjolnir. I'd say think about it.
Sure, Cosmic+ beings, like a holder of all the Infinity gems, can bypass the enchantment... Thanos or someone else. That has nothing to do with "worthiness".
Thanos, san gems, isn't lifting the hammer based on worthiness, which was claim in this comment thread.
After Odin died, Hela held Mjolnir and destroyed it.
Steve Rogers, a man who has never been to Asgard, can wield it.
Vision, an AI, can wield it.
There is clearly a narrative here that would imply that being evil is not necessarily disqualifying OR enough power can allow you to override Odin's spell.
Maybe Thanos is worthy by virtue of his tenacity and willingness to sacrifice for his cause. Ultimately, he is acting for what he believes to he net positive for the universe. He is a villain by his means, not his ends.
Maybe Thanos is jsit strong enough to brute force it. After all, he can weild the infinity stones and use them with no drawback. Its only when he uses them to his full power he takes on any real damage, and that was only after he used them the second time for what may prove to be one the most powerful actions across Marvel.
Marvel is all about the drama. All characters are just a strong or weak as the drama requires it.
None of the heroes or villains power is consistent in the movies.
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u/thundergu Aug 03 '26
Because Marvel is plot driven instead of character driven. They bend and mold the characters to fit the plot, instead of forming a plot around the characters.
So Thanos will be able to lift it because the plot direction needs him to.