Is Chris Hemsworth Actually a Movie Star?

Chris Hemsworth has been Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for over ten years at this point. In that time, he has starred in plenty of other films as well (like the upcoming Transformers One) but I think there's a few things that prevent him from being considered a true movie star. Let's talk about it.

[jameszetterman]

He's not a prestige actor, but I think he knows that. He's earnest, funny, and ridiculously handsome. You don't have to chase Oscars to be a movie star.

[SantaCoppelia]

I feel that he had a turning point when learning about of the genetic potential of developing dementia in old age. He seems much more driven by enjoying the projects he works in, while having a lot of time to spend with his family. I respect that a lot, really.

[actualnotanewbie]

7:30 what helps DiCaprio is that he frequently collaborates with Martin Scorcese and Quentin Tarantino, whose projects are so massive and hyped up that they're essentially franchises unto themselves.

[dougtheheavy]

In my opinion, this is absolutely a symptom of studios not taking risks on original IPs.

[danilejai]

He may not be a movie star, but he’s definitely considered to be an A-list actor.

[thechaserichardson]

I think if the Extraction movies were shown in theaters instead of just Netflix, we’d think of those movies alongside or just after Thor when we think of Chris’ roles and performances.

[socialkruption]

This is very true cause in the 80's and 90's you went to see a movie cause it had <INSERT ACTION STAR HERE> and that was that.

[claytonrios]

Honestly I'd say yes. I loved him as Dementus in Furiosa.

Even most of his work as Thor is a performance that still holds up today as long as we don't talk about Love and Thunder.

[Handyrandy]

I know type casting is a real issue for actors and actresses, but man will Chris just always be Thor to me no matter what, but good for him for finding the infinite money glitch

[nathanielfishburn]

Daniel Radcliffe has had the best turn as a movie star coming out of a major franchise. On the one hand, the projects he's chosen shows he understands that audiences want to see him undermine his Potter persona. On the other, he contributed his star power to interesting projects that probably would not have gotten off the ground without his involvement. Movie stars can encourage their fans to take a chance on films they might not otherwise see ("Harry Potter plays a farting corpse"). but what makes this work is how he seems genuinely passionate about those projects. More actors who come out of major franchises should follow that example.

[phuncc]

i think this video is a great film-based look at how the concept of celebrity at large has shifted in the internet days, the same patterns exist within the music industry and the fashion industry and so on.

banger video as always cap'n

[JamaalHappens]

Is Hollywood even green lighting enough worthy “one for me” projects?

[captainstage]

I think Zendaya and Timothy Chalamet would be strong examples of modern movie stars. They look for artistic projects rather than commercial hits, and it does pay off for them. Loads of people go to these films just to see them.

[palmmahir]

Chris Hemsworth in Furiosa might probably be one of his best performances yet. And Dementus is easily one of my favorite movie villain of 2024.

[beauvogames]

I think you're absolutely right that either the idea of a movie star has changed OR or it has (almost) died altogether. Compared to some of the old school actors you mentioned, there's not really anyone like that in the younger "up and coming" generations where they do all kinds of stuff and it's THEM who people go to the cinema to see, nowadays it's more about the movie or franchise itself than the actors BUT at the same time, someone like Hemsworth is closer to those old school folks compared to the other actors you mentioned who seek more commercial viability in their movie projects.

[realmdarkness]

I'm glad that this wasn't a Hemsworth bashing video. The entire film landscape has changed and there are very few actors who can pull off getting a non-franchise film funded just because they're in it. Studios these days are also extremely risk averse and almost always pick the "safe option" and will continue to do so until the wheels fall off

[Alright_imma_headout]

to be fair most actors today arent true draws anymore. its mainly about the ip or director now not really the actors. and im not sure if its better that way or not but i think its just the way the times have changed but i will say Chris is still someone id say is more relevant and a bigger deal than many actors today.

[rodgaray]

There is a interview to Tarantino by Tom Segura, where Tarantino explains just that. He said that the star in a marvel movie is Captain America, not Chris Evans, same with Thor and Hemsworth. I think that's almost by design, many people consider Tom Cruise as the last "real movie Stars", I do believe that there is some true to that, it doesn't mean that Cruise can't fail, he did a couple of times. I'm in my 40's and I remember when Leo DiCaprio was the pretty face for blockbusters, he really fight against that taking challenging roles, big stakes that may not been all big blockbusters but many great movies.
I really like your channel! Hi, from Argentina.

[whosaidthat]

I don't think the DiCaprio comparison is necessarily fair. He, Denzel, Cruise, and Will Smith have kinda been grandfathered in. They've developed personal relationships with all the big wigs in Hollywood. The landscape has just changed dramatically since the 90s. Other people have pointed out that Chris is a star by today's standards but I think people are more interested in the film rather than the star and I dont think that's really a bad thing.

[robchuk]

The answer is 'No, not in the traditional sense' and I thought we knew that already because it's been proven for several of his movies now. You nailed it on the DiCaprio comparison, and a studio willing to put up more money based on his involvement alone. That sort of thing is so key, and tells you everything right there.