Chris Hemsworth weight loss talk is picking up after the Thor actor posted new photos from his next movie, Kockroach.
Hemsworth shared the black-and-white images on Instagram and announced the film has wrapped. The pics show him looking much leaner than his usual MCU frame, which has fans talking about his future as Thor before Avengers: Secret Wars.
âThatâs a wrap on our film Kockroach,â Hemsworth wrote. âQuite possibly the most fun Iâve had on a set. Amazing cast and crew and one hell of a wild script! Canât wait for you to see it !!â
The post tags Taron Egerton, Zazie Beetz, director Matt Ross, and cinematographer Cristian Prieto.
Chris Hemsworth looks much leaner in Kockroach photos
The Kockroach images show Hemsworth in a much different look than fans are used to seeing from Thor.
Gone is the massive superhero build. In its place is a leaner, sharper, period-style version of Hemsworth, dressed in suits and photographed with a black-and-white noir look.
The pics also reveal the movieâs 1950s setting. One theater marquee shows 12 Angry Men and Carnival Story, which fits the mid-century New York crime movie setting.
Fans noticed the change right away in the comments. Hemsworth also appeared slimmer in recent posts from May 3 and May 4, adding more fuel to the discussion.
“You look like losing some muscles for this role?” [sic] questioned a fan.
Kockroach likely explains the weight loss
The simplest explanation is Kockroach itself.
Kockroach is a crime drama directed by Matt Ross and based on the William Lashner novel. The story follows a mysterious outsider who claws his way up through New Yorkâs criminal ranks.
So Hemsworth looking thinner probably isnât some mystery. It looks baked into the role.
The movie has a mid-1950s noir style, and Hemsworth appears to be playing a sharp, dangerous, street-level character instead of a god swinging Stormbreaker. A gaunt, leaner look fits that type of role much better than the giant Thor physique.
Hemsworth has also done this before.
Hemsworth previously dropped weight for In the Heart of the Sea
Chris Hemsworth famously lost a lot of weight for 2015âs In the Heart of the Sea.
For that Ron Howard movie, Hemsworth played Owen Chase, one of the stranded sailors from the real-life story that inspired Moby-Dick. The cast had to look starved and worn down, and Hemsworthâs transformation became a big talking point at the time.
So this new Kockroach look does not come out of nowhere.
Hemsworth has already shown he is willing to drop the Thor body when the role calls for it. Kockroach appears to be another dramatic character role where the massive Marvel look would not fit.
Why fans are connecting it to Thor and Avengers: Secret Wars
The timing is what makes the weight loss interesting for Marvel fans.
Hemsworth is back as Thor in Avengers: Doomsday, which hits theaters before Avengers: Secret Wars. The big question is what happens to Thor after Doomsday.
Secret Wars is expected to begin filming within months, which would leave Hemsworth little time to rebuild the full Thor physique. That tight turnaround is fueling the talk.
If Hemsworth has already finished his major Thor work for Doomsday and is now lean for Kockroach, fans are going to wonder if Thor makes it to Secret Wars at all.
It could still mean nothing.
Actors change their bodies between roles all the time. Hemsworth has done it before. He could also bulk back up fast if Marvel needs him to. The MCU also uses costumes, padding, lighting, doubles, and visual effects to sell superhero size.
Still, Thor is one of the last original Avengers still standing. Iron Man is dead. Black Widow is dead. Steve Rogers is no longer the main Captain America. Hawkeye has been moved more to the side. Hulk is still around, but Thor remains the biggest active original Avenger left on the board.
If Marvel wants Avengers: Doomsday to have real stakes, Thor would be one of the biggest characters it could take out.
Doctor Doom needs to feel like a serious threat. Removing one of the last original Avengers before Secret Wars would send that message fast.
Secret Wars remains the bigger question
Avengers: Secret Wars is expected to be the endgame for Marvelâs Multiverse Saga.
If Thor survives Doomsday, he would seem like a natural fit for Secret Wars. The movie is expected to bring together major Marvel heroes from across the multiverse, and leaving Thor out would be a major choice.
At the same time, Marvel may use Doomsday to thin the roster before Secret Wars. The MCU already has a lot of characters in play, and the next Avengers movies have to make room for Doctor Doom, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Spider-Man, and whoever else Marvel brings back.
So the question is not just why Hemsworth looks thinner.
The real question is what Marvel is doing with Thor.
Most likely answer: itâs the role
For now, the safest read is that Hemsworthâs weight loss is for Kockroach.
The photos show a clear character transformation. The period setting, noir tone, and crime story all point to Hemsworth intentionally looking less like Thor and more like a dangerous man from the 1950s New York crime scene.
Still, the timing gives Marvel fans something to chew on.
Hemsworth no longer looks like Thor in the new images. Avengers: Doomsday is next. Avengers: Secret Wars comes after that. Thorâs MCU future remains unclear.
So yes, Kockroach likely explains the weight loss.
But the Thor exit speculation is not going away anytime soon.
