It wouldn’t be underselling it at all to say that Chris Hemsworth is one hell of a physical specimen, even if the actor still gets trolled on social media for skipping leg day. In preparation for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Thor: Love and Thunder, the Aussie got more ripped than ever before, with co-star Chris Pratt urging him to stop working out after Hemsworth posted an image on social media that made it look as though his biceps were about to burst.
Natalie Portman is not Chris Hemsworth, which is admittedly stating the obvious. In fact, she’s an entire foot shorter than her onscreen love interest, and roughly the width of a single Asgardian thigh. However, set photos making the rounds online during production on Love and Thunder made some serious waves when they revealed that the Academy Award-winning actress wasn’t f*cking around when it came to hitting the weight room.
The Black Swan star was rocking some serious guns, and she’ll need them, what with Jane Foster set to inherit Mjölnir and become the Mighty Thor. In a new interview, Portman explained how she managed to bulk up ahead of her first MCU movie in a decade.
“It was really fun. I worked with a trainer, Naomi Pendergast, for, I think it was, four months before shooting, and then obviously all the way through filming. We did a lot of weight training and a lot of protein shakes, heavyweight training that I haven’t ever done before. Of course, I’ve never really aimed to get bulky. It was very physical, so it was a lot of both agility work and also strength work.”
Shortly after it was confirmed that the MCU’s Jane Foster would be following in the footsteps of her comic book counterpart by becoming a superhero, Portman told us all she would get buff. Few believed her at the time, but Thor: Love and Thunder looks to see the pair of protein pals boasting arms that make mere mortals blush.