■ It’s Chris Hemsworth’s fifth time playing the Norse god of thunder in the upcoming “Thor: Ragnarok.”

Australian actor on battling Cate Blanchett, bulking up for his role as Thor and being a dad

JUST when you think that you know a superhero, there comes the inevitable midlife, mid-planetary, accessory-ditching crisis. Take the case of Thor who hasn’t exactly traded in his hammer for a sleek sports car, but still….

“He cuts his hair, ditches the hammer and even breaks up with his girlfriend in the new film,” said Thor, otherwise known as actor Chris Hemsworth. “It might be a midlife crisis.”

It is Hemsworth’s fifth time playing the Norse god of thunder, this time in “Thor: Ragnarok,” which opens Friday. This time out, the hero must fight, gladiator style, against former friend and Avenger Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett) to prevent them from destroying Asgardian civilization.

At home in Australia, however, there is no such thing as a super ego in the Hemsworth household.

Review-Journal: How do you spend Sundays?

Chris Hemsworth:

It’s all about my wife (actress Elsa Pataky), daughter India and twin sons, Tristan and Sasha. The boys are three and India is five. We’re always looking to do family things in nature. I love to go to the beach or a park.

Your films have taken you all over the globe. Do you have favorite memories of Las Vegas?

I was there over the summer to watch the Mayweather-McGregor fight. It was one of those great guy trips. I also love going to Cinemacon in Vegas to talk to theater owners. It couldn’t be more exciting to bring a film to the people who will actually show it.

In the new film you play a very different Thor.

He cuts his hair and breaks his hammer. He even gets his (butt) kicked, and his girlfriend is gone. I loved it because I’ve played this character five times now. He’s still that warrior, but me personally,I was getting a bit bored. I knew we had to try something different.

Who is Thor without his powerful hammer?

It felt so unfamiliar not to have the hammer during the action scenes that it forced me to move differently and act in another way.

What was it like to fight Cate Blanchett as Hela?

We actually had a healthy competition on the set. There was this rivalry based on thousands of years as our characters since both have their own mythologies. As actors, we found kinship and peace.

Didn’t you help her figure out how to fight without weapons that would later be inserted through computergenerated imagery?

She didn’t have her weapons since they manifest from her being and those would be put into the film later. So when she was pretending to throw she kept yelling, ‘Ha!’ I told her to stop doing that. And then I put sugar packets in her hand, so at least she would have something real to throw.

How do you bulk up to play Thor?

I usually put on about 20 pounds. I always eat a lot of clean food, heavy on the protein, and train a lot before we do these movies. It’s a lot of boiled chicken breasts, protein shakes, fish and veggies. A lot of highweight, low reps at the gym.

Thor charges into any battle but what scares you?

A lot of things. I’m always thinking about what’s real and not.

I’ve learned that usually what scares you the most doesn’t exist. When I came out on stage the first time at Cinemacon in Vegas, I was really scared. But I just did it. One foot in front of the other. I lived and had a great time.

You live in Bryron Bay, Australia with your wife and kids. Are you treated like a superstar at home?

At home, it’s straight back to changing nappies and doing the dishes. I’m just a regular Dad and husband.

Las Vegas Review-Journal