Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Avengers: Endgame behind-the-scenes clip shows Chris Hemsworth becoming fat Thor

The use of a fat suit to convey depression sparked accusations that the Marvel blockbuster was “fat-shaming” Thor

Adam White
Wednesday 31 July 2019 04:53 EDT
Comments
Watch Chris Hemsworth slip into his Thor fat suit in behind-the-scenes Avengers Endgame clip

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

New footage from behind-the-scenes of Avengers: Endgame shows Chris Hemsworth being encased in a fat suit, for scenes depicting a “fat Thor” that proved controversial upon release.

In the clip, which was posted to the Marvel Entertainment YouTube page, Hemsworth is shown jiggling his rubber belly after it is fitted onto his body, and remarking that it was “hugely liberating and fun” to play the depressed version of the God of Thunder.

“We had a big sort of fat suit that I think was 60 or 70 pounds,” Hemsworth says. “It was the hottest I’ve ever been. And we had the beard and the hair and these things that went in my mouth to plump out my cheeks a bit.”

He is later seen joking on set while in character, introducing himself as “Thor, 22 years old, I live on Asgard and I love sugar”.

Thor’s rotund physique, explained as a symptom of his depression over failing to stop Thanos (Josh Brolin) from killing half of the planet, proved controversial upon release. Fans took to social media with complaints that the story, and the jokes made at Thor’s expense by other characters, were an example of fat-shaming.

In June, Hemsworth denied accusations that the film fat-shamed Thor, telling Variety that it “was a perfect description of where Thor was in his life at that time. I love that version of Thor. There’s a vulnerability to that character and to that version that I think we hadn’t seen before... I think it’s fantastic.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in