Marvel’s highly anticipated film, “Thor: Love and Thunder,” has emerged as a box office hit, amassing a staggering $760 million worldwide. However, despite its commercial success, the movie has left some Marvel fans divided due to its director Taika Waititi’s lighthearted humor and the film’s perceived lackluster visual effects.
In a recent GQ magazine profile, lead actor Chris Hemsworth, who portrays Thor, acknowledged the criticism, admitting that “Love and Thunder” may have leaned a bit too much into silliness.
Reflecting on the movie, Hemsworth stated, “I think we just had too much fun. It just became too silly. It’s always hard being in the center of it and having any real perspective… I love the process, it’s always a ride. But you just don’t know how people are going to respond.” Hemsworth even shared that his harshest critics were his son’s friends, who offered candid feedback about the film, saying, “We thought this one had too much humor, the action was cool, but the VFX weren’t as good.” Hemsworth admitted to cringing and laughing simultaneously when confronted with their opinions.
Having starred in a total of eight Marvel movies, Hemsworth clarified that his acknowledgment of “Thor: Love and Thunder” being “too silly” does not indicate any aversion to future Marvel projects. Currently not contracted for additional Marvel films, Hemsworth expressed a desire to explore other opportunities but remains open to returning if presented with creatively enriching roles.
“I love the experience,” Hemsworth expressed. “I love the fact that I’ve been able to do something fairly different throughout the process. ‘Thor 1’ and 2 were their own thing, ‘Thor 3’ and 4 had a very different feel… and then even ‘Avengers,’ the Lebowski Thor, the ‘Infinity War’ Thor, due to different directors and I think mostly my own need to do something different.”
While “Thor: Love and Thunder” has enjoyed success, it is worth noting that Marvel Studios has encountered a mixed response with recent releases. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” achieved box office success and earned critical acclaim, including an Oscar nomination for Angela Bassett’s performance. However, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” faced negative reviews and underperformed at the box office, earning only $476 million. This is particularly concerning as “Quantumania” marked the beginning of the MCU’s next phase and introduced the formidable new villain, Kang the Conqueror.
Hemsworth praised “Wakanda Forever,” labeling it as “really cool.” While he did not watch “Quantumania,” he observed enough of its marketing to question why Marvel transformed the relatively small-scale “Ant-Man” franchise into a grandiose space epic. Hemsworth emphasized the need for personal and grounded storytelling, suggesting that the stakes shouldn’t always escalate to a universal level.
Addressing criticisms made by esteemed filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, who have expressed their reservations about Marvel’s impact on the film industry, Hemsworth expressed disappointment. Scorsese has been vocal about Marvel films negatively affecting traditional cinema, while Tarantino claimed that Marvel struggles to create movie stars, instead relying on franchise characters to carry the films.
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“It’s super depressing when I hear that,” Hemsworth responded to Tarantino and Scorsese’s remarks. “There go two of my heroes I won’t work with. I guess they’re not a fan of me.” Despite these comments, Hemsworth expressed gratitude for being a part of something that kept audiences engaged in cinemas.
