The Hemsworth brothers are the crown jewels of Australia, each one carving out their own place in the Hollywood landscape. Chris Hemsworth launched his acting career back in 2002, landing small parts on TV shows and working his way up to his first major movie role in 2009’s Star Trek.
From there, Hemsworth quickly went on to become a household name with roles in just about every genre there is — from action, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and comic book content.
Though Hemsworth is best known for his role as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he has a vast catalog of respected work on TV and in movies. Between the MCU and Cabin in the Woods, here are some of Hemsworth’s most iconic movie roles.
Snow White and the Huntsman
This isn’t your mom’s Snow White. Coming straight off the heels of the Twilight franchise, Kristen Stewart dusted off her fairy tale apple to play Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman. Hemsworth joined her as Eric, the Huntsman himself, in this fairy tale that turns the damsel trope on its head. Snow White bests Eric more than a few times after escaping her evil stepmother Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron), who tasked the Huntsman with her retrieval under false pretenses.
Rupert Sanders directed the movie written by Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock, and Hossein Amini. And while Stewart didn’t appear in the sequel, Hemsworth reprised his role in 2016's The Huntsman: Winter’s War in 2016, which serves as a prequel-sequel combo that sheds light on the Huntsman’s past.
Watch on Netflix
Thor/MCU
Chris Hemsworth’s name is synonymous with his MCU character Thor and his trusty hammer Mjölnir. Marvel Comics put a superhero spin on the classic Norse god of thunder in the ‘60s, and the MCU adapted the character for the screen in 2011 with the self-titled movie Thor.
Out of all the MCU heroes, Thor is arguably the gruffest, but he often serves as comedic relief given the foreign nature of all things human. Of course, that’s thanks to Hemsworth’s comedic timing that changes and adapts throughout the franchise alongside Thor’s growth as a hero and a pseudo-human.
Hemsworth has appeared in over a dozen MCU projects as Thor, often alongside his on-screen brother Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and A-list pals including Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff), and Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton).
Watch on Disney Plus
Extraction
Hemsworth reunited with his frequent MCU directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo for the 2020 movie Extraction. Joe Russo penned the screenplay adapted from the comic book Ciudad, which was written by Ande Parks and the Russos. Meanwhile, Sam Hargrave directed the movie.
Hemsworth leads the charge as Tyler Rake alongside a slate of relatively green actors. Yet unlike most of his roles, Hemsworth got to dust off his natural Australian accent for the film while his mercenary character attempts to carry out a rescue mission for the son of a crime boss. In typical fashion for action movies with a no-nonsense lead, Tyler grapples with his newfound Dad Era when he develops a bond with his rescuee that opens up old wounds.
If you get through the movie and want more Extraction, the Netflix film received a sequel in 2023. And don’t worry, Hemsworth is still at the forefront of the movie.
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Star Trek (2009)
If you’re someone who frequently confuses Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pine, 2009’s Star Trek might be a trippy experience since both play a Kirk in the film. Hemsworth takes on the character George Kirk, while Pine plays Captain Kirk. It’s Chris-ception.
Hemsworth’s character George is a father-to-be, desperate to save his wife (Jennifer Morrison) and their unborn child — who just so happens to be Pine’s grown-up character James T. Kirk. Though Star Trek was Hemsworth’s first major role, his short appearance at the beginning of the movie is both memorable and impressive.
J.J. Abrams directed the film written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, which was, of course, inspired by Gene Roddenbury’s TV show by the same name. The film features an impressive slate of actors with names like Zachary Quinto (Spock), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Winona Ryder (Amanda Grayson), John Chu (Sulu), and OG Spock actor Leonard Nimoy even appears as Spock Prime.
Watch on Netflix
The Cabin in the Woods
Joss Whedon’s 2011 film The Cabin in the Woods is quite possibly one of the most chaotic and unexpected satirical horror films of all time — and that’s why we love it so much. As is the case with many horror movies, it kicks off with a group of college kids in a, well, cabin in the woods. It sounds pretty straightforward, right? Wrong. Though the title may suggest a simple slasher movie, Whedon’s movie dives deep into a horror conspiracy theory.
Cabin in the Woods stars actors like Kristen Connolly (Dana), Jesse Williams (Holden), Bradley Whitford (Hadley), Anne Hutchinson (Jules), Richard Jenkins (Sitterson), and Whedon staples like Amy Acker (Lin), Tom Lenk (Ronald), and Fran Kanz (Marty).
Meanwhile, Chris Hemsworth seemingly plays the stereotypical jock Curt — but his character is also hyper-intelligent and kindhearted, breaking the mold of this particular horror movie characterization.
Watch on Max
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