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Marvel is celebrating its 85th anniversary, and all Chris Hemsworth had to do was say the most incorrect phrase ever to be forgiven for the mess that was Thor: Love and Thunder.
The cringe puns, the lame jokes, the meandering plotline, the wasted comeback of Natalie Portman as Jane, the inability of Christian Bale to salvage this massive disappointment, and whatnot. Thor 4 was not destined to go down in cinematic history as one of Marvel’s worst films — it set the bar. But Hemsworth gets all gooey-eyed for a second and just like that, people are ready to forgive and forget the three hours of their life they are never getting back, not to forget the gazillion brain cells Taika Waititi fried with his disastrous attempt at what can only be called a poor parody.
How did he do that? By unknowingly reminding the fandom that his contribution and presence in the franchise goes beyond the failure of a mediocre film.
Hemsworth is known for portraying Thor, the God of Thunder, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). As one of the founding Avengers of Marvel Studios’ ambitious interconnected storyline, Thor has been a central part of the MCU for its entire existence. So, if Marvel is turning 85, it’s also thanks to the performers who play the House of Ideas heroes on the silver screen, turning everyone into a comic book geek. However, Hemsworth is a humble god, claiming he only plays a “small part” in Marvel’s success.
MCU fans know that Hemsworth did much more than playing a “small part” in the universe. His portrayal of Thor has been a cornerstone of the MCU since his debut in 2011. Over the course of four solo films and four Avengers movies, Hemsworth has expertly navigated the character’s evolution from a brash and arrogant prince to a wise and worthy hero. Furthermore, Hemsworth’s ability to balance humor and gravitas has been vital to Thor’s popularity, particularly after the character’s revitalization in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok.
And his fans are here to make him realize his worth, even if it comes at the cost of self-brainwashing ourselves of the horror that was Thor 4.
It’s no wonder the Thor franchise has been a consistent performer at the box office, hauling $1,944.2 million worldwide with four movies. That’s quite an achievement in Hollywood, even though the God of Thunder falls behind trilogies such as Iron Man, Captain America, and Deadpool. Reducing these fantastic results to a “small part” is a mistake, to say the least. Then again, Hemsworth is still haunted by the mixed reception of Thor: Love and Thunder, which might explain why he doesn’t want to take his due credit.
There’s no sugarcoating it. Thor: Love and Thunder is a mess. For starters, the film struggles with tonal inconsistency, often undercutting emotional moments with ill-timed jokes. Plus, Love and Thunder wastes Bale’s portrayal of Gorr the God Butcher, with the script reducing the villain to a unidimensional and undeveloped threat. Above everything else, though, is that writer and director Taika Waititi decided the best way to give Natalie Portman’s Mighty Thor her time to shine was to turn the OG Thor into a buffoon.
Critics were disappointed, fans were enraged, and Hemsworth took part of the blame for Love and Thunder, even hinting he won’t be back in the MCU as the God of Thunder. But evidently, his humble proclamation and down-to-Earth outlook has managed to turn back time to the point that fans are once again excited about a potential Thor 5.
Even if Love and Thunder might be a stinker, Hemsworth dedication to the role is nothing short of commendable. With a different direction, Thor can return for a new movie and avenge fans, erasing the errors of Love and Thunder and giving Odison more time to shine. Unfortunately, there is no official news for Thor 5, and Hemsworth hasn’t been officially cast for the upcoming Avengers movie. So, for the time being, the forecast remains cloudy. Fingers crossed, we’ll get some lightning.