Marvel Studios
Even with Chris Evan’ Steve Rogers/Captain American returning in Avengers: Secret Wars, there’s something that Chris Hemsworth’s Thor has achieved that Cap never will: starring in four (and potentially more) solo films in the MCU, with Spider-Man being the only other character to feature in their own project that many times once Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters this summer.
Beyond the ups and downs of the Thor films — the mixed results of Kenneth Branagh’s Shakespearean first two films, followed by a certified MCU classic and a bonafide stinker from Taika Waititi — Chris Hemsworth’s portrayal of the God of Thunder is also key across all four of the previously released Avengers films and the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, too.
As far as we’re concerned, neither Infinity War nor Endgame work as well as they do without the dramatic performance of Hemsworth anchoring it all, which is something we were sure to tell him during out interview for his new film Crime 101. Given the long and winding arc that Thor has taken to get to this point, we asked Hemsworth what he sees the character’s role as being now, and what about his growth that he’s most proud of.
ERIC ITALIANO, BroBible: Chris, I do want to ask you about Thor — but not Doomsday, OK? When it comes to the emotional anchor of the MCU, everyone focuses on Cap and Tony, but as far as I’m concerned, Infinity War and Endgame don’t work without the emotional work you do in those films. Thor deserves far more credit for that. So my question is: how do you see Thor’s role in the MCU, and what about the character’s growth over, gosh, 15 years now, are you most proud of?
CHRIS HEMSWORTH: First of all, thank you for the compliment. Thor’s role changed in every film. I remember the first couple I did with Kenneth Branagh — that was a complete starting point and jumping-off point. I was in the arms of one of the best directors and most detailed, collaborative partners, and it was brilliant.
Then I worked with different directors. Some had a clear handle on who they thought the character was, and some didn’t. Even to their own admission — I remember Joss Whedon saying it’s a tricky character to write, especially once he’s acquired that strength. It was really around working with Taika where I was kind of sick of what I’d been doing, and he was like, ‘Yeah, so am I. Let’s explore a different space.” I hope that brought something unpredictable to the character.
In the more recent films since then, I felt like the character had earned his seat at the table. Before that, I felt like the new guy. I remember sitting around on Doomsday with all these new characters, people in their first Avengers film, and thinking, ‘I have a bit of agency here. I should have a bigger voice or opinion as the character. Owning that a little more, he does feel like one of the elders. He’s 2,000 years old or something, so we tried to play into that more than we had before.
There’s also the sense with Thor, of, “The s— that I’ve seen, I’m tired of this. I really am. I’m tired…”
HEMSWORTH: [laughs] Yeah! Yeah… You reach a point in life where there’s an exhaustion and weariness, and we really leaned into that.
Hemsworth will next be seeing starring in the Bart Layton-directed action thriller Crime 101 alongside Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte, when it hits theaters on Friday, February 13. You can check out our full interview with Hemsworth and Berry below.