Chris Hemsworth says that Thor: Love and Thunder may be his last Marvel movie. Hemsworth first debuted in 2011's Thor as the eponymous God of Thunder, and has appeared in eight other MCU films since across the Infinity Saga. The fourth film in the Thor series, Love and Thunder, will be released this summer on July 7.
After Thor: Ragnarok, the third instillation in the Thor series, rumors began to circulate that the Taika Waititi-directed film may be Hemsworth's last Thor film. However, after Avengers: Endgame saw Thor teaming up with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Love and Thunder was confirmed to be the Asgardian god's next solo appearance. While Endgame saw Hemsworth's Thor alongside the Guardians, previous Love and Thunder trailers show him leaving this new family and going off on adventures of his own. As a new MCU villain emerges in Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher, Love and Thunder will also see Thor reunited with Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Waititi), and his ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), now wielding his iconic hammer Mjölnir as Mighty Thor.
In an interview with Wired, Hemsworth admitted that Love and Thunder might be his final Marvel movie. The actor praised Waititi for his fresh and fun take on the Thor franchise, and says that it was exciting to approach the character from a new angle. However, Hemsworth also admitted that his future in the MCU is uncertain, though he would happily continue to play the role for years to come, if audiences wanted him to do so. Read Hemsworth's full comment here:
"Well the last [Marvel movie] I shot was 'Thor: Love and Thunder' and it might be my last Marvel movie, I don't know. It was a wild and fun and wacky experience, as all Taika Waititi movies are. Played that character for ten, eleven, years now, and each time it's been new and exciting, and this was no exception to that. It felt very fresh and it felt like we were trying something we hadn't tried before. I was, in Taika's words, I think a wacky, wild, romantic comedy set in space... I love playing Thor – played it for many many years and would continue to do so if people wanted me to. The most challenging part of playing Thor is reinventing it each time and not having it be predictable for an audience and having it be something they've seen before... And that is a challenge but part of the fun."
With Portman being introduced to the MCU in Love and Thunder as Mighty Thor, some have begun to wonder whether Hemsworth will pass the Thor torch on to this new incarnation of the character, and leave the franchise for good. Hemsworth previously admitted that he lost interest in playing Thor after the second film in the series, The Dark World, but that Waititi's films have since rekindled his love for the God of Thunder. It seems that as long as the character stays exciting and unpredictable, Hemsworth is eager to continue as Thor, which is comforting news. Whether or not Marvel Studios chooses to continue the actor's run as the character after Love and Thunder, however, is unclear.
With Steve Rogers passing on Captain America's shield to Sam Wilson/Falcon, and Clint Barton mentoring Kate Bishop as a potential new Hawkeye, Thor ceding his protector of the Nine Realms status to Jane Foster is not out of the question. With Marvel gearing up for a new phase of heroes, and half of the original Avengers now dead, there are more questions than answers as to where the Asgardian prince will go from here. Whether Thor: Love and Thunder is Hemsworth's final MCU film or not remains to be seen, but audiences will see him battle at least once last time when the film hits theatres on July 7.
Source: Wired
