Thor's Bodysuit Started To Physically Affect Chris Hemsworth In A 'Scary' Way
At the end of the 2018 superhero blockbuster "Avengers: Infinity War," a concerned environmentalist named Thanos (Josh Brolin) amasses six magical gems that, when assembled, granted the possessor omnipotence. Thanos, perhaps uncreatively, only wishes that half of the universe be instantly wiped out, believing that a halving of the population would be a dandy way to preserve natural resources. Thanos snaps his fingers and kills half of the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They melt into flakes of ash.
In the sequel, 2019's "Avengers: Endgame," five years have passed and everyone is indeed united, although in utter depression. The Avengers were unable to prevent mass death and have retired in shame. Meanwhile, the Asgardian Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has taken to lounging about a hut playing video games and overeating. This has led to him gaining a lot of weight. The other heroes mock his size and point out that he looks a lot like "The Dude," Jeff Bridges' character in "The Big Lebowski." Thor's fat body was the subject of a lot of critical scrutiny in outlets like Cosmopolitan and the Mary Sue, which argued "Endgame" encourages fat phobia. /Film's Ethan Anderton, in response, defended Thor's despondent behavior as an accurate representation of trauma.
Hemsworth did not gain weight to play Thor in "Endgame." Production came on the heels of "Infinity War," so he wouldn't have had the time to gain weight in a healthy way. As such, the film's directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, outfitted Hemsworth in a heavy, full-torso fat suit, giving him an outsize prosthetic belly.
In a 2019 interview with Business Insider, the Russo Brothers revealed that Hemsworth had to shoot certain "Endgame" scenes the same day as certain "Infinity War" pickups. This meant Hemsworth had to deal with stressful costume changes out of the fat suit.
Chris Hemsworth risked injuring his back due to his fat suit
The suit, according to a report in People Magazine, weighed about 70 pounds and featured silicone sleeves that Hemsworth had to spend hours donning. The actor said that it was immensely hot, but also that his wife and friends had a strong tendency to hug and cuddle him, something that rarely happened when he walked around with his ordinary bodybuilder physique.
The suit also caused a lot of headaches for the Russos, though, due to Hemsworth's backaches. Speaking to the Business Insider, Anthony Russo noted that getting in and out of the suit multiple times started to weigh, literally, on Hemsworth's body:
"Chris Hemsworth did have to wear a bodysuit for [his] role. We had to toggle back and forth. 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."
Hemsworth was not injured by his suit, luckily. Not only would the actor have been hurt, but it also would have delayed a strictly scheduled movie in which Thor played a crucial role. Anthony Russo additionally pointed out that much of the "Avengers" movies were filmed in Georgia during the summer, making a silicone fat suit that much sweatier.
Thor eventually slimmed down again in a training montage at the beginning of 2022's "Thor: Love and Thunder." That fact that superheroes still have to work out to maintain their superhuman physiques makes being a superhero seem a little less appealing.