Chris Hemsworth thinks his superhero alter ego Thor is worthy of another film.
The Australian actor has been a mainstay in the Marvel universe since the God of Thunder touched down in theaters for his first solo film in 2011. Nearly a decade later, however, most of the old guard has seemingly disassembled for good after “Avengers: Endgame,” leaving the Asgardian’s future in question.
Hemsworth, however, is still crossing his fingers that the character will live to fight another day.
“I’d still love to do more, to be honest,” he told Variety in an interview published Tuesday. “And I don’t know what the plan is. I feel like we’ve opened up such a different character. I feel more energized for the possibility of where it could go.”
Hemsworth has spoken candidly in the past about his disappointment with Thor’s characterization in the early films. He does so again in the Variety interview, saying he’d felt “trapped” until director Taika Waititi took the franchise in a new direction for “Thor Ragnarok.”
“I felt like I was typecast by whoever was writing those scripts,” he admitted. “I feel like the creators were stuck on where they could take the character, and was this all he had to offer? I felt there was so much more we could do.”
At the end of “Endgame” ― spoiler alert! ― Thor blasts off into space with the Guardians of the Galaxy, potentially opening the door for the character to pop up in the already-announced third “Guardians” movie, to be directed by James Gunn.
Marvel Studios’ future film slate remains opaque, though that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating which movies could occupy the studio’s upcoming release dates.
But Tessa Thompson, who co-starred with Hemsworth in “Ragnarok” and will team up with him in next month’s “Men In Black: International,” did let slip that the studio might tap Waititi to return for a new sequel.
“I heard that a pitch has happened for [another ‘Thor’ film],” Thompson told the Los Angeles Times in April. “I don’t know how real that intel is, but I hear that the pitch has happened. I think the idea is Taika would come back.”
Should Thor return to theaters one day, don’t expect the hero to snap back into shape too quickly ― at least if Hemsworth has any say.
Audiences were surprised to see a heavier-set version of the character in “Endgame.” Directors Joe and Anthony Russo intended for Thor to revert back to his famous physique by the film’s end, but Hemsworth insisted on keeping the potbelly.
“I enjoyed that version of Thor,” he said. “It was so different than any other way I played the character. And then it took on a life of its own.”