Robert Downey Jr. Won't Hear Any Thor Slander From Chris Hemsworth

By Andrew Sanford | Celebrity | May 2, 2024 |

By Andrew Sanford | Celebrity | May 2, 2024 |

Thor was the most “alien” character introduced in Phase One of the MCU. He is called a “God,” and arrives from another planet. His mannerisms and behavior feel out of place. He’s weird, and a young actor took that weirdness and turned this iteration of the God of Thunder into a household name. He hasn’t always been given the best material, but he’s always given it his all. Just don’t tell him that.

Chris Hemsworth recently sat down with Vanity Fair and was honest about his performance as Thor, specifically in his most recent outing, Thor Love and Thunder. “I got caught up in the improv and the wackiness, and I became a parody of myself,” Hemsworth explained to the outlet. “I didn’t stick the landing.” Hemsworth has starred as Thor in eight films in the MCU. He’s no stranger to the role. According to him, it hasn’t been the easiest to play.

“Sometimes I felt like a security guard for the team,” Hemsworth told Vanity Fair. “I would read everyone else’s lines, and go, ‘Oh, they got way cooler stuff. They’re having more fun. What’s my character doing?’ It was always about, ‘You’ve got the wig on. You’ve got the muscles. You’ve got the costume. Where’s the lighting?’ Yeah, I’m part of this big thing, but I’m probably pretty replaceable.” He’s not wrong in that Thor often felt a bit directionless, made to espouse plot points. But Robert Downey Jr. isn’t hearing any of it.

The Iron Man star was quick to point out what a difficult task playing Thor was, and how Hemsworth deserves a load of credit. “First off, Thor as a character was super tricky to adapt — lots of implied limitations — but he and Ken Branagh figured out how to transcend, make him somehow relatable but godlike. Hemsworth is, in my opinion, the most complex psyche out of all us Avengers. He’s got wit and gravitas, but also such restraint, fire, and gentleness,” said Downey Jr.

Regardless of people’s thoughts toward Thor in his most recent outing, RDJ is correct. There’s a reason Hemsworth’s Thor has become so popular, and that reason is Chris Hemsworth. The actor’s performance has transcended even the worst of material he has been given. Yes, Love and Thunder is very silly, but I would disagree with the actor about his work in it. He still has that relatable charm despite all the “wackiness.”