Robert Downey Jr. disagreed with Chris Hemsworth that he was 'replaceable' as Thor, said he has 'most complex psyche out of all us Avengers'
- Robert Downey Jr. disagreed with Chris Hemsworth, who said he was "replaceable" as Thor.
- The actor praised his "Avengers" costar for having the "most complex psyche of the team."
Robert Downey Jr. disagreed with Chris Hemsworth after the "Thor" star said he was "replaceable" in the "Avengers" movies.
Hemsworth has starred in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2011's "Thor," and continued to play the hero over nine films in the decade that followed, including four "Avengers" movies.
When speaking to Vanity Fair about his Marvel tenure for its May issue, Hemsworth said he regrets "Thor: Love and Thunder," and was also jealous of the scripts his "Avengers" costars were given.
"Sometimes I felt like a security guard for the team. I would read everyone else's lines, and go, Oh, they got way cooler stuff. They're having more fun," he said. "What's my character doing? It was always about, 'You've got the wig on. You've got the muscles. You've got the costume. Where's the lighting?'
He added: "Yeah, I'm part of this big thing, but I'm probably pretty replaceable."
In the same article, Downey Jr. said he disagreed with his costar and praised the work he put into bringing Thor to life, along with the director of the first film, Kenneth Branagh.
"First off, Thor as a character was super tricky to adapt—lots of implied limitations—but he and Ken Branagh figured out how to transcend, make him somehow relatable but godlike," he said.
"Hemsworth is, in my opinion, the most complex psyche out of all us Avengers. He's got wit and gravitas, but also such restraint, fire, and gentleness," Downey Jr. continued, before describing Hemsworth's work in "Thor: Ragnarok," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "Avengers: Endgame" as a "formidable hat trick."
Hemsworth is not the only MCU star who has opened up about his issues with his costumed character.
Other well-known actors, including Dave Bautista, Kumail Nanjiani, and Anthony Hopkins have also made it clear that they struggled with the pressures of working on the huge blockbusters for several years.
Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Jeremy Renner are the only original members of the "Avengers" team who are still actively appearing in the MCU. Downey Jr. and Chris Evans both left after "Endgame," and Scarlett Johansson exited following 2021's "Black Widow."
With projects like "Spider-Man: No Way Home," "Shang-Chi," "Ms. Marvel," and "Moon Knight," it's clear that Marvel Studios is focusing on younger and newer characters ahead of 2027's "Avengers: Secret Wars," rather than constantly relying on the original heroes.
However, the question still remains of whether audiences will be bored of superhero movies by the time the next big Marvel event arrives in theaters.