A lot of very stellar — over-qualifyingly stellar — actors have been employed by the MCU over the years. Early on, in only their fourth-ever outing, they nabbed no less than Sir Anthony Hopkins. Over the course of six years and three films, he played Odin, father to Thor in that titular wing of the film series. It’s not exactly back-breaking work; like many British thespians, he’s both a brilliant actor and a fine ham. Still, it doesn’t seem like he misses a gig he hasn’t done in years.
The New Yorker has a new, sprawling look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which just turned 15 if you peg it to the release of the original Iron Man. It’s an alternately revelatory and withering look at a mega-franchise that, as the headline puts it, “swallowed Hollywood.” It even ends on a grim note, noting some pricy layoffs and, thanks to some underperforming titles, what appear to be the signs of “Marvel fatigue.”
Buried in it (as caught by Indiewire) is a quote from Hopkins, who, the piece notes, is now known to some generations “not as Hannibal Lecter but as Thor’s dad.” Hopkins’ take on his time as ruler of Asgard isn’t much more encouraging.
“They put me in armor; they shoved a beard on me,” Hopkins explained. “Sit on the throne, shout a bit. If you’re sitting in front of a green screen, it’s pointless acting it.”
Hopkins’ last dance with the MCU was in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok, when Odin croaked. He’s done just fine since then. He won a second Oscar for The Father, as an aging man losing his sense of memory. He was also fine in last year’s Armageddon Time. And of course, he’s very good on Twitter. He’s doing fine without Kevin Feige.
(Via The New Yorker and IndieWire)
