Chris Hemsworth says that Thor was supposed to revert to his previous toned physique in “Avengers: Endgame,” but the actor insisted on keeping the new figure.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor in “Avengers: Endgame.”
“I like that anything goes,” Hemsworth told Variety. “You’re not locked into expectations.”
In one of the surprising “Endgame” story lines, Thor’s appearance drastically changed following Thanos’ “Infinity War” snap. After a five-year jump, the destruction caused by the Titan took a physical and mental toll on the superhero. When viewers saw the God of Thunder, he had turned to alcohol (mainly beer), gained extra weight, grew his hair out, and had an unruly beard.
According to interviewer Ramin Setoodeh, Hemsworth was adamant about the physical transformation remaining throughout the Marvel film.
“I enjoyed that version of Thor,” Hemsworth said. “It was so different than any other way I played the character. And then it took on a life of its own.”
Thor traveled back in time in “Avengers: Endgame.”
In order to achieve Thor’s larger stomach, the 35-year-old actor wore a heavy prosthetic suit.
“Physically, it was a good three hours in hair and makeup,” Hemsworth said. “Then the prosthetic suit, particularly for the shirt-off scene, that was a big silicone that weighed about 90 pounds. It was certainly exhausting. I had weights on my hands and ankles just to have my arms and legs swing differently when I shuffled along through the set.”
The actor went on to say that “people just kept coming up and cuddling me like a big bear or rubbing my belly like I was pregnant” when he was on the movie’s set.
Although Hemsworth and directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo enjoyed exploring a new story line for the God of Thunder, some fans expressed anger and felt that it was problematic. Thor exhibited symptoms of depression, alcoholism, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and people thought that his situation was used simply as a comedic device.
Others were glad that Thor didn’t dramatically change back to his prior weight when the Avengers fought Thanos during the major battle in “Endgame.” Instead, he maintained his appearance (aside from a slight alteration in his hair and beard style) and was able to channel lightning as he wielded his hammer and Stormbreaker.