The Australian actor plays the Nordic superhero for the eighth time in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, the wildest installment of the Marvel Universe directed by Taika Waititi
Only one of the original Avengers has succeeded enough to star in his fourth solo film, in whose skin Chris Hemsworth (Melbourne, 1983) has played eight times. The Aussie is in the thick of it when he plays Thor. There is no better role in his personal repertoire than the Norse superhero, to the point where the Viking god seems cut to size for the actor’s muscles. This July 8, ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ opens in Spanish cinemas, the fourth installment of a saga that made Hemsworth a star in Hollywood. With his infinite musculature, he allows himself to take the action to the limit and bring out his comic vein in the most unruly installment of the Marvel Universe.
Thor’s peace will be disturbed by the arrival of the villain Gorr the God Butcher, played by Christian Bale, who intends to eliminate all the gods. With the help of his friends Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and his ex Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who becomes Mighty Thor, they will create a team capable of taking down the evil villain. Fun and action-packed, ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ reminds us that the talent of Elsa Pataki’s husband does not lie solely in his physical appearance. With New Zealand director Taika Waititi behind the cameras, who has already directed Thor Ragnarok, Hemsworth says that returning to the character from the hand of this surprising director has reinvigorated him.
-Taika Waititi ensures that you are the perfect actor for the character of Thor.
-This is the most exaggerated and crazy film that Waititi has made in his entire career. I guess it was because of him that I joined the project. I love to have fun when I work, to feel that it is worth separating from my family to go to work. When you shoot with Waititi you never know what’s going to happen, I think it’s part of his nature to improvise. It always pushes me to the limit.
-It has been four years since the public had the opportunity to see the last independent film of his character. Do you like holding Thor’s hammer again?
-It’s fantastic to pick up your hammer again. Every time I play this character I enjoy it, but with Waititi’s scripts and direction, the Thor movies take on another dimension. Waititi is a fabulous artist who makes entertaining, crazy, almost wild movies. I think he knows how to load the plot with action and emotion. Taika told me that he wanted to do a romantic comedy set in space. And that is exactly what we have done; run away from any prejudice you have about superhero movies. The film as it stands responds to that general desire to recover the sensation that we all had in the cinema when we were children. That primary sensation that has to do with the thrill of adventure is perhaps being lost due to too artificial and cumbersome cinema. We have tried to recover the child that we all carry inside.
-Reunites with Natalie Portman in a Thor installment. How is her relationship with her behind the scenes?
-Wonderful. We started this journey together and, from the beginning, we became very good friends. Our children are friends, our partners are friends. In this film we will see how we answer many of the questions that remain unknown about our characters.
-You are revealed as a great comedian in this movie.
-Well, I owe it to Taika. I think the director has allowed me to vent my emotions in a very exaggerated way. I myself am surprised. I just hope the public understands what I was up to. This is a different journey for Thor, in true Waititi fashion.
Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’.
-You said you didn’t want to reprise the role of Thor, what made you change your mind?
I think it meets a lot of requirements. It’s a romantic comedy action movie, something I could take my kids to because I know they’d love it. And that’s what going to the movies is all about: it’s the experience lived with family, friends, because it’s like nothing else. I love this Taika movie because it has reinvigorated the character. When he decided to shoot ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, Taika and I started talking. I said, “Look, I’m going to shoot it. But I feel stuck with what the character does. I feel a bit bored.” And Taika replied, “I’m bored with you too. Let’s change it.” Basically what he did was destroy everything we knew and start over. As long as I continue to work with directors like him and a cast that brings something different to the character, I’m willing to continue as long as it takes.
-Feel the passion that this saga awakens among the public.
That is something that has always surprised me. I pinch myself every time I go to an event with fans of the saga or every time there is a premiere and I have to interact with people. I feel your support and enthusiasm for the Marvel Universe. I want to continue to be a part of this and I am very grateful because it has given another dimension to my career. Every time I return to the role, I feel its familiarity. Playing Thor is like meeting an old friend.
-In the film appears Christian Bale turned into a powerful villain.
-He’s my favorite villain from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’ve enjoyed everyone I’ve worked with, but with Bale it was particularly special because he’s brought a different kind of vulnerability to his role.
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