Anthony Hopkins didn’t exactly have a godly time playing Odin in the Thor films. In fact, he flat-out called it “pointless.” The man who brought Hannibal Lecter to life and won Oscars for The Silence of the Lambs and The Father wasn’t exactly impressed by his Asgardian gig.
Hopkins graced the screen in Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok. “They put me in armor; they shoved a beard on me. Sit on the throne, shout a bit,” he alluded, as if recounting a bad dream. And the cherry on top? “If you’re sitting in front of a green screen, it’s pointless acting it.” Whoa, burn. This is an actor known for sinking into his roles, and the green screen world of Marvel wasn’t exactly a fit.
But here’s the thing: while Hopkins was playing king, he wasn’t feeling like royalty. Christian Bale, another heavy hitter in the MCU, also had his gripes. The Dark Knight himself stepped into the role of Gorr, the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder, and didn’t quite love the process. “I absolutely had no idea what to do,” Bale admitted, tossing some serious shade on the green screen experience. It’s almost like the MCU was testing how much an actor could endure without losing their sanity.
Hopkins ain’t the only one who felt like the Marvel formula was a bit off. Dave Bautista, who’s spent years as Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy, asserted that the gig wasn’t all fun and games. “It was hard playing that role,” Bautista confessed. He said, “The makeup process was beating me down,” and even said he wasn’t sure if he wanted Drax to be his legacy. Yikes. A performance built on muscle and makeup wasn’t fulfilling for the actor. He’s got bigger, dramatic dreams.
But wait — before you think Hopkins was just done with Hollywood, let’s talk about what kept him going. Despite his Thor gripes, he thanked director Kenneth Branagh for rekindling his love for acting. “Branagh gave me back the chops to work,” Hopkins said, recalling how Branagh’s enthusiasm and positivity gave him the boost he needed. After working with Branagh on Thor, Hopkins was ready to keep going. But, of course, Branagh didn’t stick around for Thor: The Dark World. It grossed just $206 million, so it’s not a big deal.
However, Hopkins got his moment in the sun with a second Oscar in 2021 for his heartbreaking performance in The Father. So, while the MCU may have felt “pointless” to him, he proved he still had plenty of legendary moments left.
Marvel may have broken box-office records, but not all actors love the ride. While some stars, like Angela Bassett, are all about the MCU magic, others — Hopkins, Bale, Bautista — are just waiting for their next dramatic turn. Because, let’s face it, sometimes the glitter of the green screen doesn’t quite match the shine of an actual, gritty performance.
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