When I originally saw Avengers: Endgame in theaters, it didn’t occur to me that “Fat Thor” would catch on in the way it did. Though I remain indifferent about the character being taken in that direction, I must concede that it’s afforded True Believers the opportunity to assemble a much more affordable cosplay than in previous instances.
In recent years, there have been certain characters that have taken off. When Suicide Squad hit in 2016, you couldn’t walk more than three feet in any given direction at conventions without coming across someone bearing the likeness of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. Granted, the trend has cooled off in the time since, but I still see her represented. Similarly, Kylo Ren and Rey enthusiasts have held steady since Star Wars: The Force Awakens dropped.
Capitalizing on the popularity of Fat Thor have been a growing amount of cosplayers, and I can attest to having seen them myself. In fact, if I had to name the most commonly donned costume this past weekend at Motor City Comic Con, it’d be the portly Asgardian. If you require visual evidence, then check out Jonathon Wennstrom’s Twitter post below.
In my view, there are two contributing factors to this phenomenon. The obvious is that it’s not too costly as I mentioned earlier. Unless you’re a great craftsman and can fashion your own Thor armor, then posing as him may have seemed out of reach in the past. Halloween costumes have improved in look and quality in recent years, sure, but I won’t blame you for passing them up.
The other reason that comes to mind is body type. Though I don’t share the impressive physique of Stephen Amell, that’s never stopped me from dressing up as Green Arrow – but it’s not uncommon for people to have the desire to cosplay, yet they’re shy about it because they may have a few extra pounds on them. Subsequently, Fat Thor may have given them the confidence to finally give it a go. And who knows, now that they’ve cut their teeth on Avengers: Endgame‘s interpretation, maybe they’ll move on to other characters? That’s uplifting, at least in my opinion.