The MCU’s favorite space Vikings are back in “Thor: Love And Thunder,” and CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg was able to get all the behind-the-scenes details from stars Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie), Natalie Portman (Jane Foster/Mighty Thor), Christian Bale (Gorr the God Butcher) and Writer/Director Taika Waititi (A.K.A. Korg). Tune in to hear how they feel about Tom Hiddleston’s (Loki’s) absence, working (and spying) on Russell Crowe, and more in this interview.
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00:00I'm I'm I can be bad at spoilers. I give spoilers sometimes and I don't mean to and so I feel like I'm going to withhold that information
00:08but I think that fans might think that we don't have an answer and there is one and
00:15It's cool are you thinking what I think you're thinking I'm thinking it what are we thinking thinking what thinking it too
00:21This is notably the first
00:23Thor movie that doesn't have Tom Hiddleston in it and obviously he is such a big part of this franchise
00:28I'm just what was that experience like like not having him or he didn't want to be involved. He said
00:33Yeah, I hate all of you and in particular me and I was like, that's a shame and that's it
00:39I mean, how many times could I kill him?
00:41Is the exact way? Yeah, like
00:43I guess maybe it's like burn bridges so that he's not like feeling emotional about it, right? Yeah, we love Tom
00:49We love Tom. Yeah, but he's dead not him but the character of Loki just no, he's just dead
00:55He's obviously dead to us as far as the friendship goes
00:58One that got away one that got away that means escaped. Yeah
01:03Yeah, I'm just I'm just I'm just I'm just I'm just I'm just I'm just I'm just I'm just I'm just
01:09One that got away that means escaped yeah
01:12Yeah, I mean just having the experience of being in Thor Ragnarok having the opportunity to work with Taika Waititi
01:18I'm curious how early in the process in the making of this movie were you in his ear just saying what you wanted for
01:23Valkyrie and just what you were most passionate about super early on actually. Yeah, he like
01:28Pitched me some early ideas and I pitched things back and then some of the things I pitched are in the movie and some of
01:35the things that he pitched aren't or there and like it was really a process that was evolving which was so
01:41fun for me because
01:44Like, I don't know. I'm still so new to the camp, you know, and and I trust what
01:50Marvel does and Kevin and everyone there so I'm just sort of like whatever I'll just show up
01:56You know and this time around it was also fun to like spitball ideas and and to be asked, you know
02:02What I thought and and and yeah, it's been so cool to be a part of that process
02:06it was really exciting getting to imagine with Taika and Chris and Jen are
02:14co-writer with Taika
02:16the kind of
02:17Intermittent years between you know Dark World and here. I mean or I guess Avengers and here
02:25But
02:26It was yeah, it was exciting also to get to kind of fill in the pieces of Thor and Jane's relationship as well
02:33What's it been like three four years eight years seven months and six days give or take and do you think she got what?
02:42Possible, you know Taika
02:46Described a much larger story, you know to me and obviously we reference the Jason Aaron comic books as well
02:52About you know go
02:56All gods will die
02:59He then presented it in a different order than had been anticipated
03:03But you get somebody who you feel incredible pain and great sympathy for but then someone who becomes an absolute monster
03:10Based on his pain. He's a fascinating villain and the villain was so much fun to play
03:14How exciting and Taika Waititi is known for just basically promoting creativity and just invention on set
03:22Was that something that you found that you personally engaged with?
03:24Yeah, and necessary because when you're surrounded by blue screen each and every day you need you need extra imagination
03:31You know to keep yourself going and I've not made a film like that before
03:36And Taika yeah, he uses music he uses, you know, it's great sense of humor, but absolute wonderful sincerity and emotion
03:44it is a beautiful film and
03:46I think people will expect it to be bloody funny and it is but it is also incredibly moving as well
03:52Which is very surprising the two go hand in hand, right as they always have throughout history comedy and tragedy and Taika does it effortlessly
03:59He insists on spontaneity at all times and it's it's so incredible to be reminded of that non-stop
04:06I mean, he rarely does what's on the page and it's really
04:11Quite a radical way to work on a movie of this size and really fun atmosphere
04:16And he just brings a lot of joy and fun and kind of mischief to like every every moment of every day
04:22Is it intimidating at all? It's definitely a new way of working because
04:28It's so you really have to be
04:32like like relinquish control and just like go with what happens and
04:38But I think he creates such a kind environment that it's not an like he's not an intimidating person
04:43He's a very like warm embracing person
04:47So it really it makes you feel like safe to to try whatever
04:52yeah, I had a lot more confidence this time to just
04:56like come with ideas and
04:58And also I just feel like my knowledge of the character and the universe and the world is matured so much
05:04So I felt more comfortable in that space the first time around. I was just like I'm just learning, you know
05:09I'm like learning the ropes and this time still there's like so much to always learn
05:15But it's really fun to figure out how to you know
05:19Marry the things that are canon about the character and also explore the things that we bring as actors
05:25Into the MCU and to me the most exciting journey is like I'm a fan of these movies and a fan of these characters
05:31just as an audience member way before making these movies and the the the most exciting thing is to see the marriage of
05:38really in actor with what is canon and and the
05:42MCU with what is canon and and it's so fun
05:46And then also if you pluck those characters into new environments
05:50It's then then you have the chance to imagine what they would be in those spaces. So for example with Valkyrie
05:55It's like if she comes to earth like what what does that mean for her?
06:00Does she become a musical theater fan? Yeah, maybe she does and she loves Phantom of the Opera and that's like fun
06:06You know, it doesn't take anything away from what exists in the comics
06:09It's just expanding on what we know and understand and love about the character. Oh
06:16Should we help him? I mean eventually, great. I also want to ask about working with Russell Crowe as Zeus because it's such a
06:24Bombastic performance, but also that costume that he has is just perfect
06:28Well, it's like yeah, it's a nice little homage to gladiator with the breastplate and stuff and then also like the little tutu
06:36But also full credit to him, you know, he's like, oh, yeah powerhouse of an actor and to be able to embrace that and go
06:41Okay, I know what they're doing. Yeah, they're self-deprecating
06:44He was like, okay, I'll play along
06:49Yeah, no, they're self-deprecating kind of make a fool of myself kind of attitude that he was down for was was brilliant
06:56Yeah, and brought such a another surprising element to the space that I think audiences would have expected
07:02And you do get the chance to work with a new weapon in this one, too
07:05You get to play with that Thunderbolt. I'm just curious because it doesn't seem super wieldy. How do you fight with that?
07:10No, it's pretty hard and to be honest
07:12Like give me a couple more months with that Thunderbolt and I might have really learned some tricks
07:17I got okay with it
07:19But Russell Crowe is so good and I hope he doesn't mind that I'm saying this but I like watched him
07:25He would rehearse sometimes outside of my trailer with it and I would watch him
07:30Because he's really good. He's like so so fantastic at it
07:34but I mean
07:35that's the thing is like you spend I remember when I had
07:38Dragon Fang and it was like I was first training with that weapon and my two daggers
07:42I would spend so much time they become like you're you've come intimate with him in a way. So
07:47The Thunderbolt was fun to wield but it's not it's not my weapon
07:51So I forgive myself for not being perfect at it. This movie is a lot about intimate relationship with weapons
07:56I know that is like the funniest thing because that was actually something that really
08:01Developed in the course of shooting the film and then seen it last night, especially it works like a charm
08:07It's just like so so funny. Are you packed?
08:12What I really love about your performance is just the contrast that exists between Jane Foster and mighty Thor you carry yourself very
08:19Differently in both parts of that role
08:20I'm curious just to what extent you compartmentalized the performances and just constant saw them as different things
08:26Yeah, I absolutely was I was very grateful to have kind of the human and the superhero
08:32Aspects because I think it's so meaningful to
08:37Get to see someone who can be quite powerful and also have a lot of
08:42vulnerability, I think there's kind of a
08:45Misunderstanding that like a feminist character is just like badass tough person and I find it
08:51Yeah, I feel like it's very human to have all of the sides, you know the vulnerability the
09:00challenges the weakness the
09:02Finding strength finding power
09:04It's something I can relate to a lot more. I just say that was very very impressive what you did back there
09:09So this is kind of a strange question five years into your Marvel tenure
09:13But I am curious is Valkyrie her name or is her name Brunhilde and Valkyrie is her title, you know
09:21That's an interesting question
09:24Which I don't know I
09:27This is the thing. I'm I'm I can be bad at spoilers
09:30I give spoilers sometimes and I don't mean to and so I feel like I'm going to withhold that information
09:36But I think that fans might think that we don't have an answer and there is one
09:42And
09:45It's cool
09:49Okay, we should go