Actors who put on a lot of muscle for a superhero role – nothing unusual in itself! But Chris Hemsworth’s hard workout almost proved to be his undoing…
Preparing for a superhero role usually involves getting in shape and putting on some serious muscle – even more so for the hammer-wielding god of thunder, Thor! But Thor actor Chris Hemsworth, of all people, has really overdone it when it comes to building up muscles…
The “Extraction” star revealed to the L.A. Times that he took part in a camera test shortly before the start of filming for the first “Thor” movie from 2011 – and found that something was wrong with the iconic costume (via Vulture). Or was it more him?
Hemsworth had strictly adhered to the training programme he was prescribed in the run-up to the shoot – without himself paying attention to whether it might become a bit too much of a good thing at some point. When he tried to slip into the suit for the first time, which he was to wear 13 times in the following decade (in solo films, “Avengers” adventures or even for a video game), he felt a pinprick-like tingling sensation and his hands went numb. The suit had become so tight due to Hemsworth’s enormous body mass that he began to have circulation problems.
Director Kenneth Branagh (“A Haunting In Venice”) encouraged his star to reduce the intensity of his muscle-building programme so he could fit back into his costume once filming began. And when the first clapperboard dropped, it fit like a glove. So it remained a minor scare moment, but thankfully it didn’t affect the filming of Thor’s first adventure or the future of the Marvel series.
What will happen to Hemsworth’s starring role after “Thor 4: Love And Thunder” is still up in the air. But in interviews, the 40-year-old has recently given fans hope for a return – because it’s not that easy to say goodbye to a character who has shaped one’s career in such a way!
By the way: Not only Hemsworth auditioned for the role, but also one of his co-stars. But that’s another story, which you can read here:
