Thor actor Chris Hemsworth has revealed his desire to move on from Taika Waititi's take on the character in his next MCU appearance.
The Asgardian God of Thunder has arguably been through more evolutions in the MCU than any other character. From his early Shakesperean days to the slapstick comedy brought on by Taika Waititi in Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder - with a strange Bro Thor along the way - the God of Thunder has been through a lot.
While it may have proven initially popular with Waititi's MCU debut, the current comedy-focussed Thor hasn't been landing well with fans lately, especially after Love and Thunder was the victim of seven major criticisms. Now, the Oscar-winning director's Marvel future appears open, but far less than certain.
Lately, Hemsworth himself has begun discussing what the future may hold for him in the MCU, including the potential for his imminent death. And as the star begins his break from acting, the Australian has opened up about his hopes for a changed Thor on his next go around, if there were to be one.
Chris Hemsworth Hopes for Thor Changes on MCU Return
Speaking to Josh Horowitz, Thor actor Chris Hemsworth addressed his hopes for his MCU future. The actor notably revealed his desire to move on from director Taika Waititi's take on the character to something new.
The MCU veteran pointed out how his first two Thor solo outings and his last two movies are quite similar, so he sees the future as "about reinventing it" to keep fans "on their toes" and him "invested:"
“You look at Thor 1 and 2, they were quite similar. Ragnarok and Love and Thunder are similar. I think it’s about reinventing it. I’ve had such a unique opportunity with Infinity War and Endgame to do very drastic things with the character. I enjoy that, I like keeping people on their toes. It keeps me on my toes. It keeps me invested. I’ve said this before but when it becomes too familiar, I think there’s a risk in getting lazy then because I know what I’m doing. So I don’t know."
Hemsworth noted how he is still uncertain if he is "invited back" but if he were to return, he would want his Thor to be portrayed with "a drastically different version in tone" from his previous solo movies:
"Again, I don’t know if I’m even invited back. But if I was, I think it would have to be a drastically different version in tone, everything, just for my own sanity… (laughs) … Thor lost his mind that last one. He’s got to figure it out now.”
Previously speaking in the Thor: Love and Thunder Disney+ documentary, the Australian actor touched on the intense physical requirements to put on muscle than ever for his latest MCU appearance, and he isn't sure that he wants to "get that big again:"
“Each time I’ve played the character and put the muscle on and put the size on, and then lost it for something else and played another character, there’s muscle memory, and I used to say it sort of got easier each time. This was particularly hard. I think because the target weight we aimed for was quite a ways above where I’d been before. We had 12 months when I was at home, just training and sort of, you know, puppeteering the body and manipulating and trying to like, ’Okay, we could try more swimming now or try more martial arts. It was a really fun exploration, but I don’t know that I wanna get that big again. But I was sort of… It was… Yeah, it was just exhausting. I don’t know, maybe I’m getting old, but things just started to hurt more.”
Having been questioned on how Love and Thunder teased a future for his MCU hero, Hemsworth pointed out how "they always do," before adding how he is "completely open" to doing more with the character:
“Yeah, I think they always do. Look, I’m completely open to it, if there is something unique and fresh and unexpected to do with the character and the world. I’ve always loved the experience. I’ve been very thankful I’ve been able to do something different each time.”
Unfortunately, Thor's MCU return may be further down the pipeline than once thought as the actor recently explained why he is taking a break from acting. It currently remains unknown just how long this hiatus will last and if it will interfere with him taking part in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars.
Is Taika Waititi Done in the MCU?
Fans are now lukewarm at best on Taika Waititi's comedic handling of Thor, and even Chris Hemsworth appears hopeful to move past that interpretation. So, if the God of Thunder were to receive a fifth solo outing after Love and Thunder, it may well be with a brand-new director at the helm to deliver a changed tone.
But that doesn't necessarily mean Waititi has to be done with the MCU - it just means it may be time for him to move on to another character. Before that happens, the director will turn his attention to Star Wars, as he is currently trying to figure out the story for his own upcoming movie in the galaxy far, far away.
The Young Avengers and Runaways are both teams that some have suggested could benefit from the director's style and it's easy to see how. Alternatively, Waititi did tease Hercules in Love and Thunder so perhaps he could take some stake in a movie or series focused on the Greek pantheon next time around.
Whatever may be next for the director in the MCU, if anything, most will certainly agree it's time for a change for Thor. Many fans regard his handling in Avengers: Infinity War to be among the greatest since his introduction, so maybe a return to that more godly and overpowered version may be what's needed.
All four Thor movies are streaming now, exclusively on Disney+.
