Steve Rogers is Worthy
I want everyone to know this
Anthony Russo detailed on Reddit that Captain America “always could” pick up Mjolnir, and realized that in Age of Ultron. The reason why he didn’t go through with lifting the hammer upon that revelation was because he wanted to spare Thor any embarrassment.
As Anthony explained, “Our interpretation of the famous scene in Ultron was that when he realized he could pick up Mjolnir he quickly chose not to, because he didn’t want to embarrass Thor.”
Steve was always able to lift Mjolnir✨
Me and plenty of other people have assumed that of this scene already; Steve could lift it. The hammer moved in his grip, and you immediately see him adjusting and stopping his pull. His fingers slide but then stop. There is no way Steve didn’t feel the hammer move, he’s focused and he has enhanced senses. He knew the hammer moved, and he stopped right away.
This looks like the face of a dad who pretended to lose an arm wrestle match with his child. The smile, the raised arms, the attitude like “Whelp sport, couldn’t win from you there :))”
Age of Ultron did some wrong things with Steve’s character, but they also did things right. Not just the vision Wanda gave him, or his twitchy behavior around “home”, but this too, helping his friend out and holding back.
Thor’s drunk, he’s in a mood to boast a little and challenge his friends, he bet Asgard’s throne on this. Steve knows if he lifts it now it’ll just be embarrassing for everyone, so he puts up a nice little act and makes a funny little joke out of it to keep everything light and nice.
But of course just being worthy wasn’t enough, the absolute QUEEN ran head first into battle, Mjolnir in hand, flashing lightning and hurling his half-broken shield, and then he went ahead and casually lifted and used Stormbreaker.
He actually summoned the ax to his hand and used it.
Mind you, that though Stormbreaker doesn’t have a spell that keeps the unworthy from lifting her, that doesn’t mean just anyone can pick her up. In Infinity War, we were told:
Eitri: A king’s weapon. Meant to be the greatest in Asgard. In theory, it could even summon the Bifrost.
And earlier in a conversation with Thor and the Guardians:
Star-Lord: Don’t you think that we should all have a weapon like that?
Thor: No. You simply lack the strength to wield them. Your bodies would crumble as your minds collapsed into madness.
And yet, Steve used it in battle without a problem.
So anyway, Steve Rogers is worthy, and he has the physical and mental strength to wield Stormbreaker in battle.