In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the character Vision is shown being able to lift Thor’s hammer Mjolnir in Avengers: Age of Ultron. This immediately leads to the question – did Vision know beforehand that he would be able to lift Mjolnir, or was it a surprise to him as well?
What are the requirements to lift Mjolnir?
In the MCU, it is established that Thor’s hammer Mjolnir has an enchantment placed on it – “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” This enchantment was placed by Odin, Thor’s father. So for anyone to be able to lift Mjolnir, they need to be “worthy”.
Over the course of the MCU films, we see several characters attempt and fail to lift Mjolnir – Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Clint Barton, etc. They were unable to lift it because they were not worthy. The only other character besides Thor who is able to lift Mjolnir is Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, who is able to nudge it in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and fully lift it in Avengers: Endgame after proving his worthiness.
So in essence, the criteria to lift Mjolnir is simple – one needs to be worthy. But what constitutes being worthy is still vague. It likely involves being pure of heart, selfless, and morally righteous.
Did Vision know he was worthy?
So did Vision fit these criteria, and did he know beforehand that he would be able to lift Mjolnir? Let’s explore what we know about Vision in the MCU to analyze this.
Vision is an android created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner using the artificial intelligence J.A.R.V.I.S., the Mind Stone, and technology from Ultron. So while Vision was created by Stark and Banner, he is not purely a creation of technology – he is powered by the Mind Stone, which gives him sentience and consciousness.
The Mind Stone was originally contained in Loki’s scepter, which was used to mind control people. When the stone was implanted in Vision, it was freed from the corrupting influence of the scepter. So Vision was born out of the pure essence of the Mind Stone.
In addition, Vision does not have any human desires or moral conflicts. He is driven purely by logic and reasoning. He does not seek power or domination over others. These traits likely made him worthy to wield Mjolnir.
So did Vision know he was worthy? Considering his origins and his innate personality, he likely deduced that he would be able to lift Mjolnir. The scene in Avengers: Age of Ultron seems to suggest this as well:
| Character | Dialogue |
|---|---|
| Tony Stark | Right, so, if you can lift it, you rule Asgard? |
| Vision | I can. |
Vision’s matter-of-fact “I can” indicates he was quite confident he would be able to lift Mjolnir.
Did anyone else know Vision could lift Mjolnir?
Besides Vision himself, did anyone else know he was worthy enough to lift Thor’s hammer? Let’s go through the key characters who may have had an insight.
Tony Stark
As one of Vision’s creators, Tony likely knew Vision was built out of the Mind Stone and J.A.R.V.I.S., and was intended to be incorruptible. But Stark himself seemed surprised when Vision lifted Mjolnir effortlessly in Age of Ultron. So while he knew Vision’s origins, Stark likely did not fully realize this made Vision worthy of wielding Mjolnir.
Thor
Thor is the original wielder of Mjolnir. But in Age of Ultron, he does not seem to anticipate that Vision will lift Mjolnir. His reaction is similar to the other Avengers present – shock and surprise. So Thor did not seem to know beforehand that Vision could lift his hammer.
Clint Barton
Out of all the Avengers, Clint is the closest with Wanda Maximoff, who is the sole survivor of the experiments with the Mind Stone. So Clint may have had some insight that Vision, also powered by the Mind Stone, could share some qualities with Wanda and thus be worthy. But Clint does not give any indication that he knew Vision could lift Mjolnir.
Bruce Banner
As one of Vision’s co-creators, Bruce understood his origins and powers better than most. He may have deduced that Vision, born out of logic rather than human desires, had a high chance of being worthy for Mjolnir. But like Tony Stark, Bruce seemed just as surprised as everyone when Vision lifted the hammer.
Wanda Maximoff
Having been exposed to the Mind Stone herself, Wanda may have sensed the purity of the stone’s energy within Vision. But she had only recently met Vision, so she did not have enough time or interaction with him to judge if he was worthy. Her reaction was similar to the other Avengers when Vision lifted Mjolnir.
Conclusion
Based on an analysis of the events in Avengers: Age of Ultron, these are the key conclusions:
– Vision possessed qualities like purity of intent and lack of human desires that allowed him to be worthy enough to lift Mjolnir. He likely deduced he had these qualities and would be able to lift the hammer.
– The other major characters – Tony Stark, Thor, Bruce Banner, Clint Barton, and Wanda Maximoff – were surprised when Vision lifted Mjolnir. They did not seem to know beforehand that Vision was worthy enough to lift it.
– Vision lifting Mjolnir was unexpected to everyone except possibly Vision himself, based on his understanding of his own nature and origins.
So in summary, while Vision likely knew he could lift Mjolnir due to being born from the Mind Stone, the event came as a surprise to all the other characters who witnessed it. It was an early indication of Vision’s nature and marked him as a special, worthy character in the MCU.
Other key questions
Here are some additional relevant questions around Vision and Mjolnir:
How did Vision lift Mjolnir so easily?
Besides being worthy, Vision is also superhumanly strong, allowing him to lift Mjolnir with ease. His strength comes from the Mind Stone that powers him and gives him abilities beyond normal humans. So being both worthy and strong allowed Vision to effortlessly lift Thor’s hammer using just one hand.
When did Vision first attempt to lift Mjolnir?
The scene in Avengers: Age of Ultron when Vision lifts Mjolnir is likely the very first time he attempted it. So he succeeded in lifting it on his very first try, further reinforcing that he was certain he would be able to do it.
Could Vision always lift Mjolnir after that first time?
Yes, as long as Vision remained unchanged as the same person, his ability to lift Mjolnir should have remained intact. We do not see him attempt to lift Mjolnir again in the MCU films after Age of Ultron, but logically there was no reason he would have lost his worthiness.
Did Vision’s worthiness have exceptions?
Vision’s worthiness seemed absolute as long as he retained his original personality and goals. The only scenario where he may have become unworthy is if someone like Wanda altered his mind or goals for malicious purposes. But Vision’s resistance to corruption kept him worthy throughout the MCU films.
Vision’s character arc
Looking at Vision’s overall character arc in the MCU provides more context around him being able to lift Mjolnir:
– He was created to be an ideal form, above human weaknesses
– Lifting Mjolnir proved his pure intentions and resistance to corruption
– His powers came from the untainted Mind Stone within him
– He chose to fight for humanity against Ultron despite his origins
– His love for Wanda developed his humanity despite his non-human origins
– He retained his inner goodness despite difficult experiences throughout the films
So Vision’s entire story arc shows why he was worthy for Mjolnir, and how he retained his inner purity throughout his evolution as a character.
Significance in the MCU
Vision lifting Thor’s hammer Mjolnir had great significance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe:
– It established Vision as a morally pure, worthy character
– It surprised everyone, including Thor himself, highlighting Vision’s special nature
– It proved Vision could be trusted to use his powers for good
– It set Vision apart from Ultron, his dangerous predecessor
– It teased the idea of “Vision as ruler of Asgard” and his potential future role
– It foreshadowed the passing of the torch to new heroes like Vision for the Avengers’ future
So this iconic scene highlighted Vision’s grand introduction into the MCU and all the intriguing possibilities it opened up for his character.
Conclusion
In summary, while Vision lifting Thor’s Mjolnir hammer came as a surprise to the other characters, Vision likely knew he was worthy enough to lift it due to his origins and nature. This key moment established Vision as a powerful yet trustworthy new hero and Avenger within the MCU, beginning his character arc across several films. It marked Vision as a worthy counterpart to human heroes like Thor and Captain America due to his purity of intent programmed within him via the Mind Stone that gave birth to him.