PETA Wants Taika Waititi To Have Fat Thor Go Vegan in Thor 4

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a weight problem. Well, specifically the MCU has one big weight problem hanging on it: the question of what to do with Fat Thor. Chris Hemsworth had his Asgardian warrior put on significant poundage as a sign of his post-Snap depression in Avengers: Endgame, and there's been question about what Thor's physique will be in the upcoming Phase 4 film, Thor: Love & Thunder. Well Taika Waititi was recently asked how Thor 4 will deal with the issue of Thor's body, and his response has gotten PETA's attention enough to have the animal rights organization make a special request for Thor: Love & Thunder's storyline.

When asked by a Marvel fan whether Fat Thor would return in Thor: Love & Thunder, Taika Waititi responded that the creative team "haven't figured that out" as of yet. That response gave PETA a great idea: lobby Marvel Studios to have Thor return to his buff-body status through the animal-friendly diet change of going vegan. According to the organization, Marvel would only need to tweak their fictional story to reflect real-life occurrences, as "Chris Hemsworth went vegan while filming the original Thor and The Avengers films, and other Marvel Cinematic Universe stars like Benedict Cumberbatch and Natalie Portman are powered by plants," according to PETA Senior VP Lisa Lange.

Ironically, making Thor vegan would also be in keeping with the Marvel Comics source material: The Ultimate version of Thor was an ecocentric activist / borderline eco-terrorist. While it's not outright confirmed he's vegan, it's not a stretch to assume he was. Having Chris Hemsworth's Thor pick up an ecocentric streak and go vegan to lose that Fat Thor weight would be a nice Easter egg to the Ultimate version, if nothing else. With Marvel Studios being petitioned to be more inclusive towards all sorts of groups and lifestyles, vegan lifestyle and animal rights are an easy one for Taika Waititi and co. to cross off.

Here's PETA's full letter to Taika Waititi, asking for 'Vegan Thor' in Thor: Love & Thunder:

Dear Taika,

We understand that you have a bit of a weight problem on your hands, and PETA is here to help. As we all remember, Thor packed on a few pounds in Avengers: Endgame, so the question consuming Marvel fans across the Nine Realms is how our favorite thunder god will return to his Ragnarockin' bod in your upcoming film, Thor: Love and Thunder. We suggest taking a page from Chris Hemsworth's own playbook and exploring what would happen if Thor tried going vegan.

According to his personal trainer, Hemsworth went vegan while filming the original Thor and Avengers films, developing a particular taste for beans and veggie burgers. Perhaps if Thor took the Bifrost Bridge to our world, he might get inspired by plant-based Avengers, Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange) and Natalie Portman (Jane Foster) and that battle armor would start fitting a little more comfortably.

If Thor is serious about protecting the Earth, going vegan makes a lot of sense—axing animal products from his diet could save more than 1,000 gallons of water, 20 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, and 30 square feet of forest each day as well as the lives of nearly 200 animals a year! By having Thor go vegan, you could easily explain his restored physique while hammering home the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Just some food for thought …

Best regards,

Lewis Crary
Assistant Manager, Animals in Film & Television
PETA