(WARNING: This post holds spoilers for Avengers: Endgame.)
Even Thor isn’t immortal. Chris Hemsworth may have a fitness app en route, in which he teaches the common man all of his superheroic health secrets. But Joe and Anthony Russo, the directors of Avengers: Endgame, still spent much of the shoot worried if his back was going to give out.
As you no doubt know by now (and turn back if you want to avoid spoilers), Thor didn’t take to a post-“snap” reality too swimmingly. While some joined support groups (Captain America) or stopped dying their hair (Black Widow) or shaved the sides of their hair and became an angry mercenary (Hawkeye), the mighty Asgardian took to booze. By the time the rest of the gang tracked him down, he’d gained a mighty beer gut.
Endgame was shot back-to-back with Infinity War, so there was no time for Hemsworth to pack on the pounds. So he wore a body suit. And that fat suit was pretty heavy, even for Chris Hemsworth.
“We had to toggle back and forth,” Anthony told Business Insider. “While we were shooting Endgame where he was heavier we had to do some pickup shots for Infinity War, so he would have to go back and forth between those two looks. So he had to wear a bodysuit, and it was quite heavy. That suit started to wear on his back, which was scary when you have someone who has to be so physical.”
The fact that Thor packed on the pounds has proven one of its more controversial elements. The Russos defended the character choice, saying, “It’s a manifestation of where he is on a character level, and we think it’s one of the most relatable aspects of him. I mean, it’s a very common sort of response to depression and pain.”
(Via Business Insider)