The MCU Character Thor: Love And Thunder's Chris Hemsworth Relates To The Most
Moviegoers got their first look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Thor (Chris Hemsworth) way back in 2011 via that aptly-titled "Thor." The Kenneth Branagh-directed feature saw the God of Thunder — complete with dyed blond eyebrows that Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige is deeply apologetic for – banished to Earth by his father, Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins). This forces him to own up to his past mistakes and prove himself worthy of his powers and place as the future king of Asgard. This tale would pave the way for several more Thor appearances at the movies in the coming years, where he'd embark on a variety of adventures.
In the years following "Thor," the titular hero joined the Avengers, faced off against such villains as Ultron (James Spader) and Thanos (Josh Brolin), and even established a settlement on Earth for Asgardian refugees following their home's destruction. Not to mention, he traveled across time, forged a new hammer, and learned of his evil sister, Hela (Cate Blanchett), who Odin kept secret from him and Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Suffice to say, Thor has gone through the wringer, and Chris Hemsworth has done it all with him, naturally building a sense of familiarity and comfort with the part.
Still, for as long as he's gotten to play the MCU's Thor and evolve with him, Hemsworth finds another character from the franchise more relatable.
Hemsworth relates more to the What If...? version of Thor than the regular one
On June 24, 2022, Looper attended a Disney press event promoting "Thor: Love and Thunder" that included the main cast of the film as well as some of the minds behind it. To kick off the event, Chris Hemsworth shed some light on what he finds relatable in Thor after years of playing him. "Especially since Taika [Waititi] got involved, he brought out the immature, young, adolescent quality that I embody, and so does Thor now, which he didn't in the original films," he explained, revealing that this makes the party animal take on Thor from the Disney+ "What If...?" series even more relatable than the regular MCU one.
For those who don't recall or never gave "What If...?" a try, the seventh episode of the animated series showed viewers their first look at what Thor would be like if Loki didn't grow up alongside him. The result is an even more carefree, fun-loving, and childish Thor than we've seen in the live-action MCU. According to director Bryan Andrews in a 2021 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Chris Hemsworth excelled while recording dialog for the show. "I get a sense that maybe there's a little bit of actual Chris in 'Party Thor,'" he posited, and given Hemsworth's recent comments, Andrew's wasn't too far off.
"Thor: Love and Thunder" opens on July 8, 2022, but if you're itching to see more from the "What If...?" version of Thor, you may be in luck. Season 2 is coming a lot sooner than expected, hopefully, with more Thor in tow.