Chris Hemsworth has etched his face and identity as the Asgardian God Thor for Avengers and the Marvel franchise. Becoming the MCU superhero is not an easy task since Thor is not just a superhero but also the Norse God of Thunder. Hemsworth already had an incredible physique even before signing up to play the superhero; however, he took his body to another level for the 2011 film, which earned nearly $450 million at the box office, over the years with bodybuilding. He has starred in four Thor movies, and for each film, he has bulked up.

Talking about the first time, when casting for the movie was taking place, Kenneth Branagh had decided upon a look for the God of Thunder, and Hemsworth had to fit that role. This was not easy because he not only needed a jacked physique but also needed to fit in the custom-made costume.

Did Chris Hemsworth pass the costume test?

In an excerpt from the upcoming book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, authors Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards, which was covered in an article by Vanity Fair, revealed interesting stories on how different actors came together to make the whole team. Kenneth Branagh was a huge part of the movie Thor since he was the director and had a lot of say in how the Norse God would look. At first, according to him, they did not choose the Extraction actor after his audition, but after watching the video again and reading some lines from the script, they saw the exact things they were looking for in Thor in the actor.

Thor was a God, and the actors, even if they were humans, needed to have a godlike aura in them and almost be “Shakespearean,” according to Branagh. After Hemsworth passed the test, it was time to pass another challenge, and that was to make the perfect physique—to look like a God. Branagh had already advised Hemsworth to become as big as possible for the role. Hemsworth took every word and threw himself into a rigorous workout routine to add more lean body tissue and look shredded.

He worked with Duffy Gaver and put on 20 pounds in just eight months. Hemsworth was also starring in another movie, Red Dawn, and used to train in his free time in the shooting area. When the second stage of bulking up was done, there was the final stage, and that was costume fitting, which was the most crucial stage. When Chris came out wearing the costume, he was looking like Thor and could make people believe that the real God had come down from the skies, but there was a catch. “Within a couple of minutes, my hands started going numb,” said the Avengers actor.

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Hemsworth said, “And everyone was like, ‘Yeah, that’s not cool.’ ” The measurements of his costume were taken three weeks before, and his dimensions after those weeks were completely different. The costume was made to accentuate his muscles instead of cutting off his blood circulation. However, this was good news because he kept Branagh’s promise and became as big as possible. Finally, Hemsworth stopped bulking up more and maintained his symmetry by switching to kettlebell workouts and eating fewer calories. However, the 40-year-old actor has stopped bulking up for the reprise of Thor.

Chris Hemsworth stops weight training

The 40-year-old had bulked up for a Thor in 2022, and in the documentary for Thor: Love and Thunder, he talked about his bulking and cutting for different roles. “Each time I’ve played the character and put the muscle on and put the size on, and then lost it for something else,” said Hemsworth.

However, this process is now exhausting for the action hero, and his new approach is to have more functional training. He uploads his workout videos on his Instagram, and the Australian actor shows his training, which includes sprinting, battle ropes, and bodyweight push-ups.

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He is more focused on core training than bulking up at this point in his life. Hemsworth is always going to remain Thor for the audience, and his portrayal of the Asgardian God is timeless. Do you agree?