While pundits ponder whether "The Avengers" will be bigger than "The Hunger Games," that question hits closer to home for two stars who happen to be brothers: Chris Hemsworth, who reprises his role as "Thor" in the superhero flick, and Liam Hemsworth, who co-starred in "Hunger Games."
Chris sat down with Moviefone and talked about the Hemsworth rivalry, getting his own action figure and how only Thor is allowed to deal with Loki. (It's a brother thing.)
Are you and Liam having a little brotherly rivalry over who's going to have the bigger box office?
Only in the healthy, competitive way that brothers react. Absolutely. The honest version is we're getting people back into the cinema. When a film works, it's good for everyone in this business. If it's my brother amongst the crowd with success, then great. We had a trailer in front of that film so hopefully it got seen by that audience and somehow have an onward trickle effect.
Any wagers placed?
No [Laughs]. Both of us keep scratching our heads and pinching ourselves about this whole experience. We grew up in Melbourne and all over Australia and to find ourselves here with two big films is ... surreal.
Speaking of brotherhood, did you draw on any of your real-life experiences for the Thor-Loki relationship?
Yeah, I can understand the truth to that relationship. You watch the film and the dynamic with these characters is based on trying to conquer the villain. Everyone else's motivation is basically a quick fix [snaps his fingers] you know. Kill him. Sort him out. Stop him. Whereas mine is a lot more personal. Anyone with siblings understands that: "Look, I can give my brother a hiding but no one else can." [Laughs] Certainly, I understand that.
The fight between you and Iron Man was pretty epic.
It's great, yeah. And the one with Hulk, it was really exciting. It was messy and unpredictable and there's no real winner out of it. Both of them have incredible strengths and they both end up damaged and in bad shape at the end of it. I think they agree to disagree.
They gain respect for each other.
Yeah, it's like, "Oh, this is what you've got." I like to think Thor would finish things off but he took the more mature approach and said, "You can have this one."
What's the craziest Thor merchandise you've seen?
There was a bunch of Thor action figures where you press the button and it speaks and it wasn't my voice! So that made me laugh. It all makes me laugh. Never when I got into this business did I think I'd have an action figure. It's a trip. That's the most satisfying thing, the fans and feedback you get from kids. There's not a jaded opinion or affected judgment. They believe you're Thor and they believe it's all real. It's what's so wonderful about what we do, the fantasy that films create especially when you're swept up in the magic. Kids give you the most honest feedback. My manager has two kids and they've come to all the premieres. So I asked, "Who's your favorite, Captain America or Thor?" He goes, [putting on a boyish, American accent], "Well, you know, I'd give them both five stars." He's like, six [years-old]. I said, "What do you mean five stars? Both of them?" I thought because I knew him, I'd have the upper hand. But kids are smart. And we both got a good score. [Laughs]
What's the weirdest fan complaint you've heard so far?
There's various things outside of costume stuff but, to be honest, I've been pretty lucky. Mark [Ruffalo] was talking about making the mistake of going online and reading things from the fanboys. But the negative things seem to get the most attention and even when they're in the minority. The first thing I did was jump online. You kind of can't help it. You scroll down to the comments and it's much easier to be negative about something than it is to be positive. But, thankfully, since these films have come out, they've received a great response and it's been mostly positive. At Comic-Con, we had 7000 people in that room and we showed them the "Thor" trailer and it was a thumbs up and a big cheer as opposed to burning down the auditorium.
At one point, Tony Stark calls Thor "Point Break." What would Thor's reaction be if he sat down and watched "Point Break?"
I've seen that movie about a hundred times, by the way. It was one of the few tapes we had on video recorded off TV. I even remember the commercials that were in the middle of it. Thor would probably go, " That's pretty similar to my haircut." Bodhi's hair... maybe motivated by Thor's, who knows? That's my second experience with Patrick Swayze. I also play his character in the "Red Dawn" remake.
What kinds of lessons has Thor learned since the first movie?
If Thor was sort of an arrogant, petulant kid in the first film, he hopefully left that film with some maturity and the idea of what he'd become and should take on. And in the second one, he's now put to the test. It's an idea. He hasn't proven it yet. And now whatever belief he has that he's the rightful heir to the throne or that he's going to follow in the footsteps of his father is really tested.
What was it like working with Joss Whedon versus Kenneth Branagh, who directed you in "Thor?"
Joss has written the scripts, so technically, he's more attached to the individual words and dialogue, so he has a very specific version of why things are written that way. Whereas Ken was more actor-based and actor-focused. He's a seasoned actor, so he comes from that background and he was individually detailed, scene to scene. They're both very successful films,but incredibly different ways of working. That's the joy [of acting, getting] contrasting opinions on things, that's where you learn stuff. I'd work with either of them [again] in a second.
What else can we expect from "Thor 2?"
I haven't read the script yet and of course I don't write it, but that's what I hope continues through. And beyond that, honestly, I don't know. They make that decision.
And you'll be back for more "Avengers?"
Yeah. I've signed on for three "Thor" movies and three "Avengers." And depending on the success of each one, that'll dictate whether or not we continue.
And there's talk that there might be a sequel to "Snow White and the Huntsman."
Oh, yeah, there's been talk of another one. That director, I honestly think he's the next sort of Chris Nolan, the next wave of filmmakers. It's an incredibly visual way of storytelling but it's filled with heart and soul and character. I really enjoyed that film.
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