The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
IT’S HAMMER TIME
As Marvel’s God of Thunder returns for a fourth solo film, Rachael Davis chats to the cast and director about what’s new in the world of Thor.
When you’re a superstrong, superhero Norse god with a whole team of friends to help you fight villains across the galaxy, it probably feels like not much could get in your way.
Unluckily for Thor, Marvel’s powerful but hilariously juvenile God of Thunder, the latest instalment in his film series sees a dangerous galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher seek the extinction of all gods, slaughtering them in their droves.
With New Asgard on the list of targets and the root of Gorr’s vengeance unknown, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie, Korg and his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster – who turns up wielding his beloved hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor – to solve the mystery and save the gods. Thor: Love And Thunder is the titular hero’s first solo film since 2017’s Ragnarok, and for the actor who plays him, Chris Hemsworth, going back to Thor has been like having fun with an old friend.
“There’s obviously a familiarity, but he has changed so dramatically over the years, as I have,” Hemsworth, 38, says. “Especially since Taika (Waititi) got involved,” he adds. “He brought out the immature, young, adolescent quality that I embody, and so does Thor now – which he didn’t in the original films.”
Taika Waititi, whose directing credits include Thor: Ragnarok as well as What We Do In The Shadows and Jojo Rabbit, is once again at the helm for Thor: Love And Thunder.
“I think his personality and energy, and who he is is the kind of person that I’d want to be on an adventure with,” Waititi, 46, says of Hemsworth. “Someone whom you can trust will be there to look after you, like a real-life hero. I just wanted to tap into those qualities that he’s got, and make Thor more Chris.”
While Thor is certainly a fun, humorous character who brings comic relief, Love And Thunder has plenty of real emotion – fear, tragedy, heartache, grief and love – keeping the film grounded and suitably tender.
“I think that’s something that Taika has always done really, really well in his films,” says Tessa Thompson, 38, who plays King Valkyrie.
Gorr the God Butcher is a complex villain, a perfect example of Waititi’s ability to present conflicting emotions in a way that feels intricate rather than fragmented. The film’s antagonist was once a peaceful, pious man, but his devotion to the gods turns to disdain after he suffers a crushing loss and is betrayed by the deities he once worshipped – transforming him into a god-slaughtering, vengeance-seeking monster.
“There’s a great pleasure in playing a villain,” says Gorr actor Christian Bale, 48, known for playing serial killer Patrick Bateman in American Psycho and Batman in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy. “It’s a lot easier to play a villain than it is to play a hero. Chris had a much tougher job.
“Everyone is fascinated with bad guys, immediately. And then the beauty of it is that Taika can make it hilarious and then really moving as well in this story... but certainly you understand why this guy is making awful decisions.
“And he is a monster, and he is a butcher, but there’s possibly a little understanding of why he came to be that way.”
Academy Award-winning Hollywood stalwart Natalie Portman reprises the role of Dr Jane Foster, but this time with a crucial twist.
World-renowned astrophysicist (and Thor’s ex-girlfriend) Jane goes from scientist to superhero, joining the battle against Gorr as the Mighty Thor. However, this transformation masks a personal battle, as behind the powerful superhero costume Jane deals with some distinctly human issues.
Portman, 41, says that the Mighty Thor is “completely different” to the original Thor.
“I think he’s obviously very assured and experienced in being a superhero, and she’s just trying to figure it out,” she says.
This all results, director Waititi hopes, in a film that’s pure fun and a celebration of the return of cinema after a tough few years.