The MCU Has One Mystery That Was Never Answered - And Thor Just Added To It

Avengers: Endgame (2019) tied up many loose ends regarding the multiple timelines that branched off after the Infinity Stones were taken. But for all the branches clipped and questions answered, there was one mystery tied to Captain America's shield that was never answered.

With Avengers: Doomsday (2026), we're getting a similar turn of events as Mjolnir returns, much like Cap's shield, but rather than fixed, it is still shattered from when we last saw it. But why hasn't Thor gone out of his way to fix the powerful weapon before his battle with Doctor Doom and their fight against the incursions?

How Could Cap's Shield and Mjolnir Have Been Fixed?

When Cap returned to his timeline at the end of Avengers: Endgame, he came back with a shield that was not only reforged but entirely new. But the question of how it happened was never answered. The main thing that could be assumed was that it was reforged in Wakanda, being that it's 100% vibranium.

However, if Steve went back to Wakanda in the '40s, to people who didn't know him in an isolationist country, he wouldn't have gotten far. But if he waited decades to do so, it may still not work out in his favor, as he would risk changing the timeline even more.

On the other side of that, there's only one way Mjolnir could be fixed, and that's with the help of the dwarves on Nidavellir. Unfortunately, they were almost all wiped out when Thanos forced them to make the Infinity Gauntlet. With only Eitri remaining, it's unlikely the forge would ever ignite again after they created Stormbreaker to defeat Thanos back in Avengers: Infinity War (2018).

Mjolnir Staying Broken is More Than a Tactical Decision

Mjolnir was shattered back in Thor: Ragnarok (2017) when Hela used her power to crush it in her hand. It wouldn't be seen again in that universe until Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), when it reawakened for Jane Foster and allowed her to become the Mighty Thor. But now it had the power to break apart into small pieces and reforge on its own.

Thor didn't get to use the hammer as much as Jane did in that film, and ultimately it was Jane, wielding the hammer, who destroyed Gorr the God-Butcher's Necrosword. It was an incredible feat of power, and it took everything Jane had before she died. Since then, Thor has been traveling the galaxy with Love, using the hammer and Stormbreaker to save people. But even still, the hammer was never reforged, and with good reason.

Sure, the shattered pieces of Mjolnir are great weapons to have, but more than anything else, they represent someone he loved who gave everything to save the universe. Whenever Thor looks at Mjolnir, he is reminded of Jane, and the cracks within remind him that something doesn't have to be perfect to be powerful. There's a clear sentimental element to never fixing the hammer that goes beyond the obvious as to why he can't fix it. But where the mystery with Cap's shield is how he fixed it, Thor's mystery, at least in-universe, is why he didn't.

Does Solving the Mjolnir Mystery Help 'Avengers: Doomsday'?

The mystery of why Thor didn't reforge his hammer is obvious. With only one dwarf on Nidavellir and a forge that was largely broken, there's no logical reason to return to ask Eitri if he could fix a hammer that's working fine. It's one of the most powerful weapons in the galaxy, and to ask a dwarf to "fix" what they made is borderline insulting when it's actually been improved upon by breaking.

Therefore, the question of whether or not it's worth fixing or even explaining becomes the prevailing question. The reality of the situation is that no, it's not worth it in the least. Thor is a character who has always carried his history. From his short hair to his lost eye, his body is a roadmap of his losses and victories. 

In this case, Mjolnir is a reminder of what he lost and a motivator to make sure he keeps fighting. To reforge the hammer at this point would be a disservice to Jane and would undo yet another part of his tragic history that actively pushed him to be the hero he is today.