Ragnarok Director Explains Why 'Big Boy' Thor Isn't Hemsworth Clone
It's hammer time, as the God of Thunder picks up Mjolnir and goes hammer to axe with the God of War. Of course, we're talking about God of War: Ragnarok and Sony Santa Monica's much-hyped sequel.
After a myriad of delays and Ragnarok officially being pushed to 2022, the team managed to win back critics with an action-packed reveal trailer at this year's PS5 showcase. However, while most can't wait to jump back into the world of Norse mythology, there have been some complaints about Ryan Hurst's portrayal of Thor.
What has the Ragnarok director said about Thor?
Since Ragnarok got us pumped with its trailer, all anyone has been talking about is the Sons of Anarchy star's role as Thor. The end of 2018's God of War teased Thor's arrival, but with the electrifying god being shrouded in a hood, it was hard to tell what he looked like. That being said, the quick glimpse of Thor did make him look a lot like Chris Hemsworth's version in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so what happened?
Some have called out Thor's rotund physique, but speaking to Game Informer, Game Director Eric Williams explained why they didn't want the sculpted marble physique of Mr. Hemsworth. "Well, I don't know, we just want him to be a big boy, you know", said Williams.
"There's Marvel's interpretation of him is one thing. It's interesting. We wanted to, you know, go a little deeper into the mythology itself". He went on to say that even though Ragnarok's Thor is beefier than his MCU counterpart, his body image is more in line with typical strongmen. "They have a presence immediately. And it's not always because of muscles", concluded Williams. "They're just like that is a wall of a human being, you know. So this is a wall of a God, you know, and that's why it was very important."
Is 'Big Boy' Thor really a big deal?
Away from the small minority that have called out Thor as "fat", the internet has been thirsting over this "big boy" iteration of the character. Even God of War director Cory Barlog waded in and said, "I think there's something so fantastic in that that not everything needs to be this glistening muscle hulk kind of concept to still be fantastic and powerful and intimidating".
There have been similar complaints about historical accuracy due to the portrayal of Angrboda as being black. The GoW team didn't hold back, with Narrative Director Matt Sophos reiterating this is SSM's own take on mythology. Ultimately, none of us were around at the time of Vikings to actually know what anyone imagined the gods as.
Finally, the MCU has also faced its own criticsims for its version of Thor in Avengers: Endgame. With some poking fun at "Fat Thor", the near-perfect movie was called out for body shaming and turning Hemsworth's once ripped character into a running joke. Either way, it's refreshing that God of War: Ragnarok isn't just cashing in on fandom's love of Hemsworth's Thor. Haven't you heard? Abs are so 2018 anyway!
