In a video retrospective on Instagram, Hemsworth reminisced about his love for the role, and his Marvel collaborators praised him for bringing humor and depth to the character.
“I have loved every single time I’ve played the character,” Hemsworth said in the clip.
When Thor’s self-titled first film came out in 2011, Hemsworth was a relative unknown, and the MCU was still young — “Thor” was the fourth film it released.
But Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said that finding Hemsworth made the character work — and helped launch the multibillion-dollar empire that the MCU would become.
Now, Hemsworth is helming his fourth solo film as the hammer-wielding god in Taika Waititi’s “Thor: Love and Thunder,” which also features Academy Award winners Christian Bale and Russell Crowe as villainous Gorr and god-ruler Zeus, respectively, and some of the gang from “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
Natalie Portman, who returns to the franchise as another version of Thor, praised her co-star’s “incredible comedic talent” and commitment level (he also remains committed to getting extremely buff for the role.) Tessa Thompson, who plays the valiant Valkyrie, called him “brave” for trying new things on set.
Speaking of the tonal reset that came with the third “Thor” film, director Waititi said he told Hemsworth to bring “more of (himself)” to Thor to make the hero more relatable to his decidedly un-super viewers. That humorous sequel, “Thor: Ragnarok,” earned critical acclaim and approval from audiences.
Thor is also the first Marvel hero to headline four films, not including the “Avengers” series — take that, Captain America and Iron Man!
