by When it was first announced that Chris Hemsworth would be reprising his iconic role as the God of Thunder for a fourth Thor film, fans were immediately intrigued, yet cautiously optimistic. While Hemsworth has consistently delivered captivating performances as the swaggering Asgardian Avenger across numerous MCU films, the Thor franchise itself has been markedly uneven. While the original Thor (2011) and especially its sequel The Dark World (2013) were considered rather lackluster entries in the prolific Marvel catalogue, Thor: Ragnarok (2017) – helmed by indie director Taika Waititi – was a rollicking comedic blast that revitalized the character and delivered Marvel’s funniest film to date. Still, could Waititi and Hemsworth recapture that lightning in a bottle for another Thor solo outing?
As soon as the electric first trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder landed, it was clear fans’ apprehensions could be laid to rest. Hemsworth was back in fighting form as a beer-guzzling, wise-cracking warrior who felt freshly dynamic and bursting with kinetic energy. The film boasted gorgeously vibrant neon-soaked cinematography, Slash wailing on the guitar, and – perhaps most iconically – Natalie Portman wielding Thor’s magical hammer Mjolnir as Jane Foster becomes the Mighty Thor. Waititi appeared to have woven his signature humor and irreverence into a visual feast of a superhero flick overflowing with heart. But it’s evident this perfect blockbuster storm would never have manifested without leading man Chris Hemsworth whole-heartedly embracing Waititi’s eccentric script and vision to bring the God of Thunder back to the big screen.
ALicense to Improvise: Hemsworth Revels in Waititi’s Comedic Approach
While Waititi delivered a solid script brimming with riotous gags and scenic intergalactic action, the director also encouraged improvisation and looseness on set to foster comedy. This allowed Hemsworth to flex his underappreciated comedic chops to make Thor funnier and more charming than ever before. The writer-director described his organic filmmaking process to Variety:
“Usually what I do is I come up with scenarios and moments and lines and gags, either in the scene or somewhere else random in the film and I’ll write them down. And then a lot of times when we’re filming, if we’ve got a few minutes left and we’re doing a scene, I’ll say, ‘Oh, remember that thing I talked about where you do this or you say this?’ And then the actors sort of collaboratively come up with it on the day.”
Hemsworth clearly thrived in such a free-flowing, improv-heavy environment. From Thor blundering into the film’s emotional climax to deliver one of its biggest laughs to the Avenger’s gleefully clueless reaction upon meeting a same-sex couple, Hemsworth landed joke after joke by building impromptu gags atop Waititi’s solid writing foundation.
Pairing Hemsworth – an underrated funnyman – with Waititi – who previously directed beloved mockumentary projects like Flight of the Concords – proved to be an ingenious, fruitful marriage. And importantly, it provided a creative spark that enticed the Aussie actor back into the MCU fold.
The Emotional Core Beneath the Laughs
Crucially though, beneath all of Love and Thunder’s irreverent humor and absurdity lies an emotional weight centered on loss and mourning. After his mother’s death in Ragnarok and the decimation of half his people from Thanos’ Snap, Thor remains a broken shell of a man masking inner turmoil with humor and caprice. It is only in meeting Jane again – now herself slowly dying from cancer – that he begins to truly process his grief and realize he must fight for those he still can save.
This narrative proved profoundly appealing for Hemsworth on a personal level. Having nearly walked away after Avengers: Endgame, the tender Love and Thunder script convinced him to stay. As he told Variety:
“If it wasn’t delivered to me in those terms, and with this promise of continuing the emotional journey and this exploration of the character, I probably wouldn’t have done it.”
Thus despite Waititi arguably indulging in his zaniest comedy and most eye-popping visuals yet, Thor’s latest adventure still treats its mythic protagonist with nuance and care. It continues the soul-searching arc first nurtured in Ragnarok, probing profound ruminations on love and loss through colorful fantasy trappings.
Hemsworth himself praised this delicate tonal high-wire act, saying:
“It really is just kind of wacky and unpredictable every day and incredibly fun…We’re pushing the boundaries so much that there are days where you kind of go, ‘We’re going too far now,” and then you see it come together and you go, “This is brilliant.”
A Personal Transformation Behind the Scenes
Adding further motivation for the chiseled star was the opportunity to craft a markedly different Thor in Love and Thunder – a paunchier, schlubbier hero hilariously past his prime. To convincingly sell this physical transformation, Hemsworth actually put on a career-high 20 pounds, a feat he was inspired to undertake after reading Waititi’s script.
As Hemsworth told USA Today, Waititi spurred him to dare revamping his appearance once again after firstly cutting his glowing golden locks for Ragnarok:
“(Taika) sent me an early draft and I was like, ‘This is insane and funny and moving and there’s going to be so much room for improv and fun.’ I also loved how he’d depicted Thor, with the clothes and the unkempt hair. I contacted him and was like, ‘Mate, we cannot waste this opportunity for the physical comedy. Lean into it as hard as you possibly can. I want to change my physicality entirely.’”
And change he did. Love and Thunder now features beer-bellied, bathrobe-clad Thor guzzling entire New Asgardian lakes of ale and struggling to get into superhero shape. For an actor who has diligently maintained perhaps the most enviable six-pack in Hollywood, actively gaining weight showcased Hemsworth’s willingness to fully embrace Waititi’s comedic vision and get increasingly absurd.
Hemsworth Strives to Add “Comedic Elements Which Weren’t There Initially” Even in dramatic, emotionally weighty scenes depicting Thor reunited with Jane or consoling screaming goats after tragic loss (!), Hemsworth strives to puncture the solemnity with moments of levity. As he told Kevin McCarthy:
“If it gets too heavy-handed or serious, I find ways to add little comedic elements which maybe weren’t there initially.”
This ability to balance pathos with pratfalls demonstrates Hemsworth’s strength as a versatile performer and keen understanding of Waititi’s tonal ambitions with the material.
Thor Rallying His Fellow Avengers back to Action
Significantly, Thor: Love and Thunder also represents Chris Hemsworth’s first Thor film featuring additional core Avengers characters since the original 2012 team-up movie The Avengers – namely Natalie Portman as Jane Foster/Mighty Thor and Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie. Hemsworth enjoyed bouncing off fellow Marvel stars again, as he told ScreenRant:
“That was hugely exciting for me and lot of my favorite moments in Avengers came from those kind of spontaneous combos being created around four or five of the Avengers.”
The cutaways showcasing Thor comedically attempting to whip a new team of Revengers (featuring cameos from the Guardians of the Galaxy crew and elite goats Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder) also offers fans a peek into what galactic team-ups Taika could showcase in the MCU moving forward. It lays groundwork for Hemsworth to continue leading cosmic superhero ensembles alongside Star-Lord and other beloved Marvel figures.
And after Love and Thunder’s smashing success, it’s evident Hemsworth remains as enthusiastic as ever regarding Thor’s cinematic future. As he told MTV International:
“This isn’t going to be the last you see of Thor, I’m sure, but it feels like a great bookend. And now we can be pretty bold and say, without giving anything away, that I think fans will be pretty happy with this conclusion.”
A Directorial Partnership Built to Last
In the end, it is abundantly clear Chris Hemsworth returned so eagerly to portray the God of Thunder a fourth time thanks chiefly to the intriguing new directions Taika Waititi was taking the icon. Their effortless comedic chemistry and shared vision fused to completely rejuvenate Thor after the character’s limp preceding sequels. And by all accounts, it was a joyous creative partnership for both star and director. As Hemsworth told NME:
“Working with Taika again was just such a fun experience…It doesn’t ever feel like you’re coming to set and doing the kind of usual slog of a blockbuster film or sequel.”
Meanwhile, Waititi and Hemsworth already have ideas lined up if they reunite in the MCU again. As Waititi shared with The Hollywood Reporter:
”(Hemsworth) can be really funny. So either fighting in space or being funny on Earth. That’s where I think our next story lies.”
After reinventing Thor to critical and commercial success twice now, Waititi has certainly earned Marvel’s faith for future installments. And as arguably the MCU’s most suddenly comedically gifted Avenger, Hemsworth remains an invaluable star personality to retain in their stable.
Audiences can currently enjoy their raucous collaboration in Thor: Love and Thunder, playing in theaters globally now. And if box office and audience reactions are any indication, this thankfully won’t be the last we see of Chris Hemsworth courageously wielding Mjolnir again. Because sometimes fourth time really is the charm.
