Summary:
- MCU ex-actor, Robert Downey Jr., publicly showed his support to his co-star Chris Hemsworth, regarding the latter’s Thor 4 criticism.
- The Oscar winner praised Hemsworth’s acting skills and highlighted his role in making the MCU successful.
- Hemsworth also recently spoke about how he “didn’t stick the landing when portraying Thor in Love and Thunder.
Remember how we told you Chris Hemsworth wasn’t very fond of how his character was portrayed in Thor: Love and Thunder, and how Thor was a bit underdeveloped compared to other MCU heroes? Luckily, his old Avengers pal, Robert Downey Jr., has come out to defend the Australian actor.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Chris Hemsworth recently shared how Robert Downey Jr. supported him through moments of self-doubt regarding his portrayal of Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite the enormous success of the God of Thunder throughout his four solo installments, Hemsworth sometimes felt overshadowed within the ensemble cast.
In the interview, Hemsworth expressed feelings of insignificance compared to his fellow Avengers.
“Sometimes I felt like a security guard for the team. I would read everyone else’s lines, and think, ‘Oh, they got way cooler stuff. They’re having more fun. What’s my character doing?’ It always seemed to focus on, ‘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,” the Extraction star remarked.
However, Robert Downey Jr., who played Iron Man in the MCU until 2019, came to Hemsworth’s defense, emphasizing the complexity of adapting Thor from comics to screen:
“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,” Downey Jr. explained to Vanity Fair.
The recent Oscar-winner also praised Hemsworth’s acting depth, noting, “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.”
Downey Jr. also particularly lauded Hemsworth’s performances in Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame as “a formidable hat trick.” Indeed, these three movies are often considered some of the best MCU titles, with Hemsworth’s Thor taking center stage with his thunder and lightning.
Despite the overwhelming support from his co-star, Hemsworth felt he missed the mark with his performance in the 2021 movie, Thor: Love and Thunder.
“I got caught up in the improv and the wackiness, and I became a parody of myself. I didn’t stick the landing,” he admitted.
Nevertheless, both actors remain open (or at least didn’t outright deny) to return to their iconic roles within the MCU. “It’s too integral a part of my DNA,” said Downey Jr., despite his character’s conclusive arc in Endgame. On the other hand, a potential Thor 5 is currently on the slate for Marvel, though Taika Waititi won’t return as the director for the fifth film.
Currently, Hemsworth is gearing up for the premiere of the Mad Max prequel Furiosa, where he plays the new antagonist Dementus. His other project, Extraction 3, is also currently under development.
Whether Hemsworth will wield Mjolnir again in another Thor installment remains uncertain, but Marvel fans will definitely welcome the actor back to the MCU with open arms.
