A Clever ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Detail Has Fans Appreciating the Movie Even More
Avengers: Endgame tied up so many loose ends that it can often be challenging to track them all. The culmination of over 10 years of Marvel movies was one of the most ambitious creative projects every assembled.
While the film’s focus was on the significant events of Infinity War, the Russo Brothers and company also tried to get as many Easter Eggs as possible into the movie. One of these Easter Eggs had to do with Thor’s beloved hammer, Mjolnir.
Thor and his hammer
Chris Hemsworth’s Thor came into the Marvel universe early on. One of the original Avengers, he first hit the big screen in 2011. While the film was not as critically-acclaimed as later entries in the saga, Hemsworth’s performance as an intergalactic god who crashes on planet Earth and must save a small town from a massive disaster brought new fans to the character
While other characters like Loki and Odin became staples of the franchise, one of the unspoken heroes was Mjolnir, Thor’s trusty hammer. Mjolnir is not just a weapon. It is built from the most refined metal that the universe has to offer and can only be lifted by those deemed worthy to carry its power.
With Mjolnir by his side, Thor got through battles big and small without anyone else disrupting his beloved weapon.
However, by the time that Thor: Ragnarok came along, Thor watched as his sister Hela destroyed the hammer and rendered his power useless. The film was a box office smash and added a new dynamic to a character whose first two outings weren’t nearly as well-received.
By the time that Infinity War and Endgame came around, however, we saw a different Thor. After reuniting with his hammer, a long joke that had started with his first appearance was finally paid off when Captain America wielded Mjolnir in the latter film’s epic final battle.
The significance of Mjolnir
Captain America and Thor were, in many ways, the closest thing to one another in the Marvel universe. While Steve Rogers wasn’t a 1,500-year-old god of thunder, he was a man who had been deemed ageless by a scientific experiment. Similar to Thor’s hammer, Captain America’s iconic Shield was the source of lots of his power.
He might not have been as powerful as the god of thunder, but he was the closest of the mortal Avengers.
Since early on in the franchise, Captain America wanted to wield Thor’s hammer. On several occasions throughout, both he and other team members attempted to lift Thor’s famous weapon to no avail. By finally doing so in Endgame, Captain America proved that the god’s power was not passed down through blood, but will.
However, this riveting Endgame sequence also includes a fun little Easter Egg for fans to feast on.
The ‘Avengers: Endgame’ hammer detail
One of the best parts of the Marvel universe for its die-hard fans is little observations about the actions, sets, and props inside the movies. One user on Reddit noticed a particularly interesting difference when Captain America finally wielded Thor’s hammer.
While Thor often reaches out for his hammer and waits for it to land inside his hands with little recoil, Captain America does something entirely different.
Reddit user Moohamin12 pointed out a subtle difference in a thread on Reddit.
“In Endgame, Cap always cushions the flight path of Mjolnir while Thor grabs it outstretched. Cap is used to adjusting for the Shield’s recoil while Thor knows Mjolnir comes to a stop at his hand.”
This might seem like a little detail, but it also shows the difference between the two. Thor is used to the hammer’s power while Captain America is used to his Shield. While the Shield might not be the same as a godly weapon, he immediately goes into his comfort zone and swings it similarly to the way he does his own weapon.
This could be a case of the Russos, Evans, or someone else giving direction. Conversely, it could be a happy coincidence that the actor did with muscle memory.
Whatever the case may be, this was the moment when Captain America proved he wasn’t just super strong. He’d made himself on-par with a literal god. Captain America’s time in the MCU is likely done, but audiences can see where Thor goes in 2022’s Thor: Love & Thunder, where another familiar face will reportedly wield the hammer, too.
