Chris Hemsworth Says Cate Blanchett Almost Convinced Him Hela Was Right in Thor: Ragnarok

During a recent visit to the set of Thor: Ragnarok, franchise baddie Tom Hiddleston told reporters that they would be blown away by the performance of Cate Blanchett, who is way more evil as Hela than Hiddleston's Loki has ever really managed.

The actress, best known for her work in films like Elizabeth and the Lord of the Rings franchise, plays the goddess of death, Hela, in the upcoming film -- and when asked about working with her, star Chris Hemsworth couldn't help but gush...over himself.

"She's like, 'Chris, please, you know, I don't know how to approach this scene,'" Hemsworth joked. "Doesn't know how to walk properly. 'You don't know how to talk.' And the accent, and...so that's been exhausting having to kinda teach her."

After a moment of that, the actor got more serious, adding, "I'm in love with Cate -- and you know, my wife is, too, so I can say that. The fearlessness. She's just insanely funny and smart and talented."

Getting to play opposite the beloved actress was thrilling an daunting, Hemsworth said during on-set interviews, describing the idea of facing off with Blanchett "sort of too good to be true. Like, what's the catch?"

The actor said that Blanchett constantly challenged his expectations, bringing a totally different tone and performance to the part than what he had worked out in his head.

"She came on and like, oh-ho wow, okay, that's what you do if you're Cate Blanchett," Hemsworth laughed.

Hemsworth said that one of the things that separates Blanchett's Hela from many of the other Marvel villains is that she has a clear goal and a deep reason for that goal. Describing the character as someone the audience can empathize with, Hemsworth acknowledged that it is easy to see that she might have a point -- if she wasn't trying to kill everyone.

"Cate can kind of relate to her and say, oh okay, I get what she is and her frustration, or what's driving her," the actor said.

That is not too far afield from what made Hiddleston such a popular vilain from the start: his Loki is a pathetic, broken thing who has more in common with Rocket Raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy than he has with the Ronans and Thanoses of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Most of Marvel's other villains have drawn some level of criticism for being someone dull, so humanizing a villain -- even a villain who is technically a goddess -- seems like a winning strategy for Blanchett.

Thor: Ragnarok is due in theaters on November 3, 2017.