As Thor: Ragnarok moves forward in its journey towards production, a lot of crucial pieces are being discussed and/or locked in as we speak. One such issue that’s a particularly hot topic is the possibility that the next baddie Thor faces will be a female antagonist, breaking from the usual mold the Marvel universe has cast. Should this concept pan out, Chris Hemsworth has a vague idea of who he could square off against, and she’s a fairly recent co-star we’ve seen play the heel before.
During a conversation I’d had with Hemsworth, during his promotion of this week’s In The Heart Of The Sea, I couldn’t help but ask him about any possible movement when it came to his third solo outing in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. More specifically, I was wondering which of his three female co-stars from next year’s The Huntsman: Winter’s War would fit the bill best. So out of Emily Blunt, Charlize Theron, and Jessica Chastain, I asked the actor who he’d think would make the best candidate for him to butt heads with. Admittedly, he was reticent to name names at first, as he’d praised his co-stars with the following sentiment:
They all have potential to scare the hell out of me, any of those women. I felt like the little brother, getting bossed around by these three women in the best way.
Let it be known that Chris Hemsworth is the ultimate nice guy, as he diplomatically tried to stay neutral between this three co-stars. You can’t really blame him though, as Blunt, Theron, and Chastain are all powerhouses of acting that have not only logged terrific performances on their own, they’ve also made the cast list for The Huntsman: Winter’s War into a can’t miss event. Still, with some light pressing from my end, I managed to coax a name in the end:
Oh God, don’t make me pick one... maybe Jessica, but only because [Emily Blunt and Charlize Theron] are already villains in our film.
I must also note that despite his final answer of Jessica Chastain, as I had walked out the door, Hemsworth laughed and asked me to clarify that this wasn’t a concrete nomination. Still, the suggestion of Chastain playing a villain again would be absolutely fantastic, as she stole Crimson Peak from all of her co-stars, including the ghosts. This isn’t because Emily Blunt or Charlize Theron wouldn’t make excellent antagonists, as they’ve both proven in projects like The Devil Wears Prada and Prometheus respectively that they can be excellent villains.
However, there is one thing that makes casting Chastain as Thor: Raganrok’s villain the wiser move, and that’s because it would avoid type casting. Think about it: Blunt and Theron have done the baddie thing, and are about to do it again in the new Huntsman film. Chastain, on the other hand, really only has her experience as Lady Lucille Sharpe when it comes to her villain cred; and if she wants to play a more fun villain, a Marvel flick would be a great opportunity to branch out in the ways of evil. It should also be noted that all three candidates have been thrown around as possibilities for Captain Marvel’s lead, and seeing as all three actors are huge draws, Marvel will probably find a slot for them no matter what. At the very least, all involved look to be having fun with The Huntsman: Winter's War, as you can see in the trailer below.
With all of the suggestions Chris Hemsworth has made, both on his own volition or through some light prying, one could assume that this leading man is building a reputation as a kingmaker of sorts. We’ll see soon enough, but in the meantime I have to agree that it is hard to choose a villain for Thor: Ragnarok out of his three, equally gifted co-stars. You can make your own decision as to who’s best suited for the role when The Huntsman: Winter’s War makes it to theaters on April 22, 2016; but you can see Hemsworth in In The Heart Of The Sea, which opens this Friday.
