“I became a parody of myself”: Chris Hemsworth Still Resents his Performance in a $760 Million MCU Film But Fans Think Someone Else is to Blame
Australian actor Chris Hemsworth is widely known for portraying the God of Thunder, Thor, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He first appeared as Thor in 2011’s Thor and continued to reprise his character for several MCU films. Hemsworth is not only one of the fan favorites, but also one of the world’s highest-paid actors who has built up a loyal fan base.
The actor has appeared in movies including Red Dawn, Extraction, Men in Black: International, and more, proving that he is indeed one of the finest actors in the industry. Hemsworth will play Dementus in the upcoming movie Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and ahead of the release, the actor recalls one of the major roles he played, which he now calls a parody of himself.
Chris Hemsworth admits to being caught up in the improv and wackiness in Thor: Love and Thunder
2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder, starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, and more, was the twenty-ninth movie in the MCU. Directed by Taika Waititi, Love and Thunder was reportedly a romance movie inspired by 1980s romance. The movie opened to mixed reviews from the audience and critics but managed to gross over $760 million at the box office.
Where the performances of the actors were highly lauded, the audience and critics did not appreciate the screenplay and tonal inconsistencies. Now, actor Chris Hemsworth, ahead of the release of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, talks about the failure of Love and Thunder at the box office. In his May 2024 issue of Vanity Fair, the Australian actor admitted that the audience deserves another Thor movie. The actor shared with the publication that he cannot forgive himself for Thor: Love and Thunder, adding,
“I got caught up in the improv and the wackiness, and I became a parody of myself. I didn’t stick the landing.”
Even though I love Ragnarok, I will never forgive Taika for ruining two very good Thor arcs
— Cinematografia. (@Cinematografiaz) April 30, 2024
I don’t blame him for it. He was lead in that direction and they went too far into the comedy.
— Chainsaw Reacts (@ChainsawReacts) April 30, 2024
I forgive you Chris
— Heavy Spoilers (@heavyspoilers) April 30, 2024
During the conversation, Hemsworth recalled that, even though he was very grateful for the opportunity, he started to get frustrated with playing Thor. He added that he felt like a security guard for the team, noting that the other members got way cooler stuff than him. Hemsworth told Vanity Fair that he felt like he was a part of a big thing, but pretty replaceable.
However, fans do not believe that it was entirely Hemsworth who should be the one to take the blame for the failure of the movie. A user mentioned, ‘Even though I love Ragnarok, I will never forgive Taika for running two very good Thor arcs’. A lot of users seemed to have agreed, as they stated that it was not the actor’s fault that he was given a bad script to work off.
It’s not his fault that he was given a bad script to work off of.
— RJ (@ResonantJustice) April 30, 2024
Thor :Love and Thunder had potential to be a great epic movie.
It had a stellar cast and a great concept but forced comedy ruined it.
It deserved a Logan type treatment
It started out great with Gorr's faith being broken. That should have continue with Gorr not only killing… pic.twitter.com/0XIhLEMFS8
— Ruth 💕 (@ChidubemKi59317) April 30, 2024
Ardent fans of the actor and the comic books have expressed that they don’t blame the actor, but the movie had the potential to be an epic, and the forced comedy ruined it.
Robert Downey Jr. says Chris Hemsworth’s Thor is the most complex psyche of the Avengers
Robert Downey Jr., who portrayed Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, in the MCU, shared with Vanity Fair that Thor, according to him as a character, is super tricky to adapt. He added that Hemsworth and Ken Branagh figured out how to transcend and make Thor relatable but also godlike. He added,
“Hemsworth is, in my opinion, the most complex psyche out of all of us Avengers. He’s got wit and gravitas, but also such restraint, fire, and gentleness.”
Cate Blanchett, who co-starred with Hemsworth in Thor: Ragnarok, also had positive things to say about him, adding that he is generous, hilarious, and very hardworking. In his conversation with the publication, Hemsworth admitted that he would like to work with filmmakers including Christopher Nolan, Kathryn Bigelow, Greta Gerwig, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg.
Furiosa is a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, which Hemsworth said is his favorite role since 2013’s Rush. He added,
“Ron took me out of that typecast space of the musical action guy and let me play a character with complications and darkness. I remember thinking at the time, ‘Oh, this is going to change everything.”
The upcoming movie sparked the actor’s interest in acting again, but he is not sure when and how he will return as God of Thunder on screen. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 24, 2024.
