Why Chris Hemsworth's Thor Was Given The MCU's First Nude Scene
While the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn't have a huge issue with putting its characters in situations with world-ending stakes and violent fight scenes, the franchise has always steered clear from depicting too much nudity. However, the franchise appears to be loosening its grip on that stance. "Eternals" had the first MCU sex scene, while "Thor: Love and Thunder" has a nude scene (from the back, of course) with Chris Hemsworth's Thor famously appearing fully in the buff try while he attempts to convince other gods to aid him in his quest to defeat Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) during his visit to Omnipotence City.
When the film came out, director Taika Waititi spoke with Yahoo Lifestyle about why he had to make the big moment come together. Ultimately, Waititi thought it made sense to include a nude scene purely from a financial perspective. "Quietly, in a business sense, I think we might sell a few more tickets!" There were some cut scenes that might have given "Love and Thunder" an R-rating, but this moment was able to squeak by with the film's PG-13 rating intact.
Waititi also mentioned that Hemsworth's nude scene was intended to give the star a payoff for all the physical training he went through. "I mean, personally, he's worked so hard on all of this [his body], it would be weird not to show it, don't you think?"
Apparently, it was hard for the crew to concentrate around a naked Chris Hemsworth
So, how does Chris Hemsworth feel about his naked "Thor: Love and Thunder" moment? He seems to have enjoyed it, telling Variety that it was years in the making, beginning with him taking a shirt off in the first "Thor" movie to eventually appearing solely in his birthday suit. But even before "Love and Thunder," Hemsworth's shirtless scene wasn't the only titillating aspect of the franchise. Audiences got a peek at Hemsworth's hindquarters in 2011's "Thor" when he's in a hospital, and his underwear gets pulled down slightly so that a staff member can administer some kind of sedative. Of course, that's small pickings compared to Hemsworth's butt being out for all the gods in Omnipotence City to see.
It was a big deal to be on the set of "Love and Thunder" when the God of Thunder showed what was down under, according to director of photography Barry Baz Idoine. "It's incredibly hard to shoot Chris Hemsworth's butt," He told Deadline during the film's red carpet ceremony. "I mean, nobody concentrates, nobody does their job, everybody's looking at the butt, they're not looking at what they're supposed to be doing. That was a challenge."
Challenges aside, it's safe to say the nude scene was a standout moment for anyone watching "Thor: Love and Thunder." At the very least, it avoids the distinction of joining the ranks of the worst Marvel nude scene of all time, a dubious honor that belongs to "Howard the Duck." As the MCU continues to be more comfortable depicting nudity and sex on the silver screen, perhaps "Thor 5" will go even further.