One of the biggest comic book scenes ever put together made its way into Avengers: Endgame when Captain America finally wielded Mjolnir during the final battle. It verified what so many of us assumed all along, that Cap was truly worthy. Even Thor yelled with joy when he summoned the hammer.
But what about the Infinity Gauntlet? Ever since the battle against Thanos back in Infinity War, where Captain America was able to hold back his massive Gauntlet-clad hand, fans have surmised that he could also wear and use the Gauntlet…and survive. Well, it turns out that’s not exactly the case, as Endgame writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have finally put that theory to rest.
In an interview with THR, the pair had the following to say:
“I think Steve would be toast. I think in that moment, Thanos is impressed by Steve’s will. He’s like, ‘I can’t believe this guy who apparently has no powers is trying this.’ He’s almost like, ‘Really? Really?'”
As much as fans might like to think Steve Rogers could snap his fingers and survive, it appears that it could never happen. Tony proved Ronan the Accuser right when he said no mere human could use an Infinity Stone and live to tell the tale, and as super of a soldier as he is, Captain America’s still only human.
The original theory that Steve could handle the Gauntlet, like all great fan theories, originated on Reddit. It stated that while Cap obviously couldn’t really take on the likes of Thanos and the Hulk, he was still able to hold his own against the Mad Titan, however briefly. It wasn’t his strength that did it, though. Instead, it was his heart. For a moment, Steve was able to “out-will” the villain, before being knocked out by the purple giant’s other fist cut that short.
But it seems he’s not strong enough to withstand the power of the Gauntlet itself and as the Avengers: Endgame writers say above, if he’d tried to wield it in the film, he would’ve been toast.