Although Marvel Comics’ version of Thor has been battling evildoers in the pages of comic books since 1962, it’s no secret that the character got a significant boost in popularity thanks to Chris Hemsworth’s portrayal of him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hemsworth debuted as the God of Thunder in 2011’s Thor, then returned a year later for The Avengers. Thor, of course, wields Mjolnir in battle, and while that hammer may strike fear into the hearts of his enemies, it was a joke to the Avengers actors early on, Hemsworth included.
Because the Mjolnir that Chris Hemsworth used on The Avengers set was made of foam, he and the other Avengers actor couldn’t help but make fun of it. Jeremy Renner, who plays Clint Barton/Hawkeye in the MCU, revealed this while appearing at a Florida Supercon panel (via Popverse), saying:
It’s easy to talk about in reflection. During the first of that, we had no idea what was going on. We thought we were at a Halloween party. We’re all laughing at each other’s costumes and Thor’s foam hammer, and all that was ridiculous. But, at the end of it all, the takeaways are the great friendships and bonds.
You have to remember that when The Avengers came out, the MCU was four years old and has only released five movies prior. Sure, superhero movies had been popular for well over a decade, and it was a game-changer to have such heroes come together for a team-up like this in a blockbuster movie, as opposed to seeing established teams like the X-Men and Fantastic Four. But even so, the MCU hadn’t yet become the pop culture staple we know it as today, so for Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth and the other actors, they couldn’t help but poke fun at the superhero-y ridiculousness while making The Avengers.
To be honest, if I was in their shoes and unfamiliar with the Marvel Comics source material, I probably would have done the same thing. Frankly, even knowing what I do about Thor, I’d probably still want to play around with that foam hammer if given the opportunity. Still, when it comes to those who live in the MCU, they better give Mjolnir the respect it deserves. And, if you’re among the very few who are considered worthy, like Steve Rogers and Vision, you may even get to pick it up yourself.
Jeremy Renner went on to say during the panel that he and his castmates eventually realized the importance of the Marvel mythology and how it means so much to the fans. But for Renner, his “biggest takeaway” from working on The Avengers, and the MCU as a whole, is how much he treasures his friendships with actors Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans and Mark Ruffalo, among others. In this case, it really is about the friends you make along the way.
Hemsworth and Downey will reunite in December 2026 for the upcoming Marvel movie Avengers: Doomsday, though the latter will now be playing Doctor Doom. While there’s been no official mention of Renner being involved in the next Avengers movie, he did visit the set over the summer while he was in London for his book tour. He also sounds optimistic about Hawkeye Season 2’s chances, so we’ll let you know if that next batch of episodes moves forwards.
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