Avengers: Endgame Directors Defend Thor’s New Look

The first third of Avengers: Endgame saw each the surviving heroes process the events of Avengers: Infinity War in their own way. In the case of Thor, that meant sporting a radical new look that co-directors Anthony and Joe Russo discussed in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. And as we delve into these insights, be warned that spoilers lie ahead.

After Earth’s Mightiest Heroes fail to undo the snap in the opening minutes of Endgame, the film jumps forward a whole five years, by which point, the God of Thunder has become a long-haired, overweight, hard-drinking layabout. Seeing how we’re used to Chris Hemsworth having a ripped physique in all his MCU adventures, Thor’s beer gut is quite a shock to the system, and according to Joe Russo, this new body is a reflection of the hero’s despair.

“How is everyone processing their grief? We wanted them all to process it in very different ways. And Thor is an exceedingly tragic character who was built from the time he was a boy to be a king,” Russo said. “What is the distance that a character like that can travel, a god? Somebody, especially, who looks like Chris Hemsworth?”

Throughout the course of the film, quite a few jokes are made at Thor’s expense. Rocket, for instance, compares his appearance to a “melting ice cream cone,” while his mother Frigga pleads with him to eat more salad. As a result, the movie has been accused by some viewers of fat-shaming, but according to Anthony, Thor’s Endgame look is more than just an excuse for a few cheap gags.

“Even though there’s a lot of fun to be had in the movie with his physical condition, it’s not a gag,” Anthony said. “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.”

By the end of Avengers: Endgame, Thor is clearly in a better place, and it’s implied that we’ll be seeing more of him in the upcoming Guardians of Galaxy Vol. 3. As for the possibility of another solo flick, that’s still up in the air, but for what it’s worth, Tessa Thompson recently relayed word that Thor 4 discussions have now begun. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see if the character is back to his usual shredded self by the time he next returns to our screens.