When Tessa Thompson calls her Thor franchise costar Chris Hemsworth a “big infant,” it is not the insult it may sound like and is said in the most positive way. Having made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut alongside the Aussie actor in Thor: Ragnarok as Valkyrie, Thompson has appeared in several other movies and TV shows, and is rumored to be returning in the upcoming Avengers movies.
During a recent appearance at the BFI London Film Festival (via Variety), where she talked about her new movie, Hedda, the actress did take time to share some words about what it has been like working with Hemsworth on the Thor movies. She said of the actor:
“[He’s like] a baby with muscles, a very big infant [with] no inhibitions that will just do anything to get the laugh and to discover, so it’s a pleasure to work with him. It’s so goofy making those movies sometimes. The mechanism of making those films requires a place of pure imagination, you know, where you just have to play like a kid.”
While there are plenty of “goofy” moments to be found in comic book movies, Thor: Love and Thunder pushed the comedy side of things a little too far for some people, especially after the incredible Thor: Ragnarok seemed to find a perfect balance. This was mostly put down to director Taika Waititi going a little overboard with the camp comedy on Love and Thunder, something Thompson touched on when she called the director “like an infant with a bank balance” and said – in a non-serious way – that his “terrifying” child-like approach to filmmaking “should be stopped.”
‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Was a Mess, Yet Still Became a Hit
Although there has been a lot of emphasis being put on Marvel movies underperforming at the box office recently, the franchise was still coining it in with movies like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. III and Thor: Love and Thunder. In the case of the latter, though, it was hard not to notice the way the film was divisive among both fans and critics for going wildly over the top with its comical overtones.
While boasting a cast that included Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, as Zeus and Gorr, respectively, a return for Natalie Portman as Jane/Mighty Thor, and the inclusion of the Guardians of the Galaxy, things did not quite go the way many wanted. Gorr was almost a side villain in the movie, being wasted in the eyes of many fans; Zeus was an over-the-top joke for the most part; then the Guardians’ inclusion just seemed like a workaround to undo the promise of a Thor/Guardians adventure that was set up in Avengers: Endgame.
Despite mixed reviews, and many people believing that the overly comedic approach to the character undermined his previous appearances and the inclusion of a dark and fearsome villain such as Gorr, Thor: Love and Thunder still pulled in over $760 million worldwide, making it one of the highest grossing post-Endgame movies of the MCU.
Chris Hemsworth is set to return to screens as Thor in Avengers: Doomsday in December 2026, and although Thompson has not yet been announced for the movie, reports have suggested that Valkyrie will return as the actress has been spotted in and around the areas that have been used for filming in the U.K.
- Release Date
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July 8, 2022
- Runtime
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119 minutes
- Prequel(s)
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Thor, Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok
- Sequel(s)
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Thor 5