Why I Think Loki Lifts Mjolnir Against Doom in Avengers: Doomsday

An industry insider report on Avengers: Doomsday carried a plot detail that I think has much bigger implications than it first seems: a new character will reportedly wield Mjolnir in a fight against Doctor Doom, and it won't be Thor or Steve Rogers. Of the characters who could plausibly lift the hammer, I think the one this points to is Loki.

Many characters in the MCU have picked up the hammer over the years. The insider's claim rules out the usual suspects, though. That leaves two characters I see as the most likely candidates, and either one leads to some wild theories about where the film was headed.

An insider says someone besides Thor and Steve Rogers lifts Mjolnir against Doom

The update came from a scoopster on Twitter. His wording was specific: "I heard that another character will lift Mjolnir in a fight against Doom in Avengers Doomsday besides Steve Rogers, obviously excluding Thor."

I think the images of Doom with Mjolnir misread the report, though his runes and costume hint at it

After the report surfaced, I saw images on social media of Doctor Doom wielding Mjolnir. I think that's a good example of something getting lost in translation. The tweet says another character wields the hammer against Doom, not Doom himself.

I will concede that a couple of Easter eggs already confirmed for Doom might show how he could get around the worthiness enchantment and wield the hammer. The first is magic. We know he has control over magic, and specifically the iconography of runes. Those runes were confirmed by the official Avengers: Doomsday countdown clock at the end of the trailers, and they were on full display during the laser show reveal at the Shanghai merchandise conference the year before.

The second is his official costume. One of the first things I noticed is that it seems to carry images of some of the Avengers' weapons. One could have been the star of Captain Marvel. Another looks like Shang-Chi's Ten Rings on his arms. And one of the other emblems looks like Mjolnir.

So on face value, pun totally intended, it looks like Doom may be headed in that direction. What better way to convince people to follow you than using your magic, and whatever else is at your disposal, to pick up Mjolnir and prove you're worthy in the sense Thor was?

I think Loki, the god of stories, is the one proving he's worthy

Keep that idea, but switch the character, because that's exactly what I think is going to happen. It ties into my wider theory that Doctor Doom is trying to persuade the Avengers to go after Loki.

The last time any of the heroes knew of Loki, he was the god of mischief. Tony Stark would have told Steve Rogers, and Steve might have told others, that at least one Loki variant escaped while they were trying to get the Tesseract. None of them have seen anything to do with Loki since.

They missed his entire arc. He took his place as the god of stories and went headlong into the one thing he spent the whole series trying to avoid. He wanted to be with his friends, and now he is completely alone. That kind of sacrifice is the kind we've seen from Thor. So I think the moment of proving worthiness won't go to Doctor Doom. I think it goes to Loki.

Doom's plan could hinge on blaming Loki for the failing multiverse

Here's how I picture it. Doctor Doom may have convinced Steve to follow him. Steve may have convinced Bucky and Sam's Avengers to follow them. Meanwhile, Thor might be heading to the TVA to try to stop them. Thor's stunt double posted to social media showing Thor at the entrance to the Loom in the TVA.

That may seem like one small detail, but it feels like it supports my general theory about Doom's plan. The multiverse is failing, and he wants to use that to his advantage. To do so, I think he'll manipulate the heroes who would try to stop him by blaming the failure on a familiar foe. His pitch would be that Loki now sits at the center of the multiverse, the incursions are happening, so it must be Loki's fault.

When Doom finally brings the Avengers to the TVA to face Loki, Thor and a couple of others may be on Loki's side. Then Loki lifts Mjolnir, the same way Vision did when he handed it to Thor. That would signal to the heroes that this isn't the same old god of mischief. This is Loki, god of stories, worthy of the hammer and not their enemy.

Jane Foster and Storm have lifted the hammer, but I think only Loki makes sense

I may be wrong about some of this. But by process of elimination and logic, there aren't many characters who could step up and wield Mjolnir in a way that makes sense or caps off their arc.

Others have done it in the MCU. I expected Jane Foster to return at some point, and she has already lifted Mjolnir. I also don't hear anyone mentioning that Storm did it in the What If series. Storm wasn't confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday, and the updates said the opposite, that she won't be part of the film. Still, she could be a likely candidate, since it comes from comics canon.

For me, though, the only character who makes sense, the only one who could wield the hammer and give it emotional weight, pun also intended, is Loki. It would be a moment that convinces the Avengers they should be on his side in a battle against Doctor Doom.

Everything points to a third act battle at the TVA

Remember that the insider specifically says someone else wields the hammer against Doom. Doom may end up getting it at the end of the movie heading into Secret Wars, but in the meantime, another hero does it.

This promises a major battle at the end of the film at the TVA. Whether it's over Loki is yet to be seen. But I've theorized that this battle needs to happen for Doom to take the throne Loki now sits on. They have to be in that location, and it might be the end of the film.

Some of the earliest plot leaks also said Loki might assemble a multiverse Avengers to protect him or defeat Doom in that battle. That's exactly when I think this moment may take place. One small detail seems to confirm much of what I'd been theorizing for a while.