Although Chris Hemsworth doesn’t always play heroic figures, his career has largely been defined by his performance as Thor across multiple movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This summer, Hemsworth is playing against type in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, where he portrays Warlord Dementus, the main villain of the film. According to Hemsworth, getting to play the bad guy was more than just a much-needed change of pace.
“It was somewhat liberating and refreshing to kind of shed the heroic Thor space and transform into something different, and not have to be restricted by the expectations of the hero,” Hemsworth told SFX Magazine via GamesRadar. Hemsworth also credits his Furiosa co-star, Anya Taylor-Joy, for helping him acclimate to the film.
“I felt quite intimidated by the whole experience,” explained Hemsworth. “What we were a part of was both exciting and also scary. I had a lot of questions and a real need to sort of dissect everything. Meeting Anya, I immediately saw the same enthusiasm. It was just a constant discussion. Everything Anya did helped inform everything I was wanting to do. The two characters–although as abrasive and polar opposites as they were–kind of complemented the journey. I didn’t realize that when I first read the script.”
Within the world of the film, Dementus is the man who stole Furiosa away from her family. Even after she’s transformed herself into a warrior, Furiosa neither forgives nor forgets what Dementus has done to her. And her journey of personal vengeance will play out in the film.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will hit theaters on May 24.