Marvel Studios Shut Down Limitless To Preserve Chris Hemsworth For Thor: Love And Thunder
Chris Hemsworth may play the God of Thunder on the big screen, but there is a huge difference between looking like a superhero and actually being one. That's what the "Thor: Love and Thunder" star had to learn while filming his new Disney+ show, "Limitless," which sees him performing a series of (pretty literally) death-defying acts in a quest to figure out how far humans can push themselves in the hope of achieving longevity. But the difference between Thor and Hemsworth? The actor's bones break, and that's where Marvel steps in.
In an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to promote "Limitless," Hemsworth revealed that he actually busted his ankle while filming one of the show's episodes. The accident occurred during a particularly intense stunt that involved climbing to the top of a cable car using only a rope whilst suspended 100 feet below the dangling car. Hemsworth regaled Kimmel with the following tale:
"I said, 'Great, we'll do it before I shoot 'Thor.” Anyway, I started training, I blow my ankle out, and Marvel stepped in and said, 'No. The show that might kill him, you can do that after our film ...' By the time I came to shoot it, I was at the end of 'Thor,' I was full size, and my trainer looked at me and said, 'You're screwed.' This is gonna be the hardest thing you've ever done. It became not even about strength. Just will and a fist fight to try and get up the thing."
"It was a combination of, like, the intensity of the height but also just trying to muscle my way up the rope," Hemsworth added. So yeah, when your $200 million movie depends on Hemsworth being in good health, that s*** is going to be shut down.
Playing a superhero while not actually being one
Hemsworth has been playing Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for well over a decade at this point. When he started, he was in his mid-20s, a time when it is physically easier (though still not easy) to get in god-like shape. "Like" being the important part there. But as Hemsworth approaches 40, it gets tougher, and the body succumbs to time on some level. Hence, his fascination with wanting to pursue longevity.
As far as Disney is concerned, he's still the star of a huge franchise and the reality is, they can't have him breaking himself apart for another project under the media empire's massive umbrella. But, in the end, everything worked out for all parties involved. We got "Thor: Love and Thunder," while Hemsworth still got to do a bunch of wild stuff for our entertainment.
"Limitless" is now streaming on Disney+.
From Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Darren Aronofsky ("The Whale," "Black Swan") and his production company Protozoa, Jane Root's Nutopia, and Chris Hemsworth and Ben Grayson's newly formed Wild State, "Limitless" puts cutting-edge science of human longevity center-stage. Part global scientific adventure, part personal journey, each episode of the series follows Chris as he takes up a gauntlet of physical and mental feats designed by world-class experts, scientists and doctors to unlock different aspects of the aging process. Each meticulously crafted challenge is rooted in game-changing science, drawing on new research and long-held traditions. Chris' mission is to understand the limits of the human body better and discover ways we can all extend health and happiness into old age.