In Avengers: Age of Ultron, the newly created synthetic android Vision lifts Thor’s hammer and hands it to him, gaining the respect and trust of all the Avengers. Later, he uses the hammer in the fight against Ultron.
But how did he do this? Was Vision worthy of lifting Mjolnir? Or was he exempt from its enchantment?
There are three theories as to how Vision could hold Mjolnir. Since he was mostly machine, it’s possible the hammer’s worthiness enchantment didn’t apply to him. He could have also been worthy, or he could have lifted it because of the Mind Stone.
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Why Can Vision Hold Mjolnir?
This question is not directly addressed in Age of Ultron or any other MCU movie. In fact, at the end of Age of Ultron, we see Tony Stark and Steve Rogers trying to figure out the answer: how does Vision manage to pick up Mjolnir?
Rogers suggests that Vision is a machine and, therefore, is exempt from the worthiness enchantment Odin placed upon Thor’s hammer. After all, an elevator can technically lift Mjolnir, and an elevator isn’t worthy.
However, in Thor, a pickup truck is ripped apart when an old man uses it to try to remove the hammer from its resting place in the desert.
This would suggest that machinery–at least when operated by an unworthy human–cannot necessarily lift Mjolnir.
Additionally, Vision is not entirely machine–his synthetic body contains human cells.
Another popular theory is that Vision could lift the hammer because he was worthy.
Fans pointed out that Vision was the most noble and selfless member of the Avengers. And, thanks to the Mind Stone, he had a grasp on the bigger picture in the universe–that the most important thing was preserving life.
He was an ideal artificial intelligence who expressed a hopefulness in the human race and a benevolence toward all life. He showed himself good and noble in ways that made him worthy according to the hammer’s enchantment.
However, other fans pointed out that, though Vision lifted the hammer and fought with it, he did not channel the powers of Thor while using it. He did not conjure lightning or acquire any special strength or power when he wielded Mjolnir.
This suggests that Vision was not worthy of the hammer–that he could lift it, move it, and fight with it, but could not truly wield its powers.
A third theory suggests Vision could lift Mjolnir because his body housed the Mind Stone. Because this was one of the Infinity Stones, it was older and far more powerful even than Odin or his enchantment upon Mjolnir.
Thus, the hammer’s magic held no power over Vision, and he was able to lift and move it–regardless of whether he was organic or synthetic, worthy or unworthy.
Can White Vision Hold Mjolnir?
White Vision was introduced in the Disney Plus series WandaVision. This version of Vision was remade by S.W.O.R.D. without the Mind Stone and, though still sentient, was more robotic. His purpose was to destroy Wanda Maximoff and the artificial reality she created.
White Vision was different from his former self; he primarily acted under S.W.O.R.D.’s control, and did not retain his former memories. Though these were restored to him, it is unclear what impact they had on his character and personality.
He did, however, abandon his mission to destroy Wanda and her artificially-created version of Vision.
Thor’s Mjolnir was destroyed before the events of WandaVision, so we will never know if White Vision could have lifted the hammer. We can speculate, though.
If the original Vision could lift Mjolnir because he was an android, then White Vision also could have lifted it for the same reason.
If Vision was worthy to lift the hammer, then it’s unlikely White Vision shared his worthiness–at least until after he received his memories.
If Vision’s ability to lift Mjolnir was due to the Mind Stone, then White Vision would have been unable to lift the hammer because he did not have the stone.
Who Else Can Lift Mjolnir?
Aside from Vision, a few other characters in the MCU have been able to lift and wield Thor’s hammer. Let’s look at those characters below.
Thor
Thor’s father, Odin, gave him Mjolnir. Odin also enchanted Mjolnir so that only those found worthy could handle it.
For a brief period, even Thor was unworthy to lift his hammer, as he used its power to behave immaturely and selfishly.
However, during the events of Thor, while banished to Earth, he began to grow and change, becoming a more noble and self-sacrificing leader, and the hammer returned to him.
Odin
Odin was the one who commissioned the hammer, which was made by the Dwarves of Nidavellir.
He gave the hammer to his daughter, Hela, Thor’s older sister. She used it in battle as she fought alongside Odin to conquer the Nine Realms.
Later, after Hela betrayed him, Odin gave Mjolnir to Thor and enchanted it so that only those worthy of it could wield its power.
Because Odin was the one who enchanted it, he was always worthy of lifting the hammer.
Hela
As Odin’s firstborn, Hela was the first to receive the hammer from her father. She wielded it in many battles as she accompanied him in his quest to conquer the Nine Realms.
Later, however, she attempted to usurp her father’s authority and engage in bloody conquests which he no longer approved.
Thus, he took the hammer and banished her to Hel, where she remained until his death.
After Odin died, Hela returned to Asgard, where she faced Thor and Loki, and proved herself far more powerful than them.
Though the hammer had been enchanted by that time, she grabbed it out of the air as Thor threw it at her, crushing it with her hands.
Captain America
Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America, nearly managed to lift the hammer in Age of Ultron. Either he was not quite worthy at that time, or he pretended he was unable to lift the hammer to preserve Thor’s ego.
However, in Avengers: Endgame, he proved beyond a doubt that he was not only worthy to lift the hammer, but to wield its power. In the Battle of Earth, he used the hammer to summon lightning and enhance his own powers as he fought against Thanos.
Later, he took Mjolnir with him as he returned the Infinity Stones to their proper places in time, ultimately returning it to 2013 where it belonged.
Jane Foster
In Thor: Love and Thunder, Jane Foster became known as Mighty Thor when the broken pieces of Mjolnir mended themselves and chose her to wield the hammer.
Throughout the movie, she fought alongside Thor as they took on Gorr the God Butcher.
Unfortunately for Jane, using the hammer came at a cost: it sped up the spread of cancer in her body, and she succumbed to the illness.
Conclusion
Vision is one of only a few characters in the MCU who has been able to wield Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir.
Though no one is sure how he was able to do this, there are two main theories: that he was an android and thus exempt from the hammer’s worthiness enchantment; or that he was, in fact, worthy to wield it.
A third theory suggests that he could wield Mjolnir because of the Mind Stone, which was older and more powerful than the hammer’s enchantment.
Sarah Hood is a freelance content writer and editor with a love for all things Star Wars. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, singing, and spending time in the great outdoors.