Can Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom Bypass Mjölnir’s Worthiness Enchantment?

Robert Downey Jr. suiting up as Doctor Doom is one of Marvel's boldest swings yet. But can RDJ-as-Doom pick up Thor's hammer? Short answer: no. Not unless Marvel completely rewires what the hammer considers 'worthy' in Avengers: Doomsday.

"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."

Why Doom and Mjolnir don’t mix

Mjolnir is stubborn in the best way. It does not care how smart you are, how much power you have, or how many times you monologue about destiny. Traditionally, it responds to humility, sacrifice, and moral clarity. Doom, even in Downey Jr.'s hands, is built on ambition and control. That is the point of the character.

The comics back this up. In Gerry Duggan's A+X #17, Doom gets trapped in an illusion where he steamrolls the Avengers and X-Men, even taking out Wolverine in gnarly fashion. He then 'proves' his dominance by yanking Mjolnir from Thor and killing him with it. The illusion immediately shatters because even Doom knows he could never actually do that. It's a neat, very Doom-specific gotcha: his own mind rejects the fantasy.

There is one edge case. In All-Out Avengers #2, Doom was literally split into two halves, good and evil. The good half could lift Mjolnir. That tracks with how the enchantment works. Doom likes to think his goals are pure, but Mjolnir consistently rewards the stuff he refuses to embrace: selflessness, humility, and a clean moral compass.

So if Avengers: Doomsday wants Downey Jr.'s Doom swinging the hammer, it would take a radical story twist. Not impossible, but the bar is high by design.

Who has actually lifted Mjolnir in the MCU?

• Thor: Not always worthy. In Thor (2011), Odin strips him of the hammer for being arrogant and reckless. He earns it back only after choosing to protect others in the Destroyer showdown.
• Vision: In Avengers: Age of Ultron, he picks it up like it weighs nothing. Why? He is not human, has no ego, no selfish motives, and no darkness in him.
• Hela: In Thor: Ragnarok, she does not lift it because she is worthy. As Odin's firstborn, she shares his magic and overpowers the enchantment entirely.
• Captain America: In Avengers: Endgame, he wields it because he embodies that whole selfless, principled thing the hammer loves.
• Tony Stark: Tries in Age of Ultron and fails. Which pretty much explains Doom's odds too: ego, control issues, and superiority complexes do not impress Mjolnir.

Bottom line: the hammer rewards character, not strength, intellect, or a birthright. Doom can talk about order and peace all day, but his endgame is always his own supremacy. If Iron Man could not clear the bar despite being one of the MCU's greatest heroes, Doom is not exactly next in line.

Doom vs Thor: the matchup to watch

Chris Hemsworth's Thor is one of the MCU's heavy hitters for a reason. He is the God of Thunder, Odin's son, borderline indestructible, and he literally tanked a neutron star to reignite the forge on Nidavellir. Mjolnir and then Stormbreaker are extensions of that power.

Doom is a different kind of monster. He is a genius in lethal armor, with a habit of stealing cosmic-level power when it suits him. Comics-wise, he has studied Asgardian magic, tried to siphon godly energy, trapped Thor on occasion, and even tangled with him across an almost century-long stretch in one storyline. So yes, Downey Jr.'s Doom going head-to-head with Hemsworth's Thor in Avengers: Doomsday has real potential. Expect Thor to be front and center when the team squares up against Doom.

So, can Doom lift Mjolnir in Doomsday?

Only if Marvel chooses chaos and rewrites the rules. Based on both the comics and the MCU track record, Doom is not the guy Mjolnir rewards.

Avengers: Doomsday hits U.S. theaters on December 18, 2026.

Think Doom finds a loophole? Or is the hammer going to do what it always does and say 'nope'? Drop your take in the comments.