Makers defend Thor's 'pot belly' in 'Avengers: Endgame'

Actor Chris Hemsworth, aka Thor's physical appearance in the mega-blockbuster Avengers: Endgame has fans talking.

The topic of fat shaming over the character's larger body instead of the usual ripped and muscular physique is a matter that has divided opinions. Twitter took to defending the superhero, with many sympathising with Thor's emotional issues during the film.

To those disappointed in fat Thor in Endgame:

Let’s see how you handle losing your dad, mom, brother, best friend, magic hammer, home planet, killing your sister, and failing to save half of all life in the universe when you got the chance.

Spoiler Alert: You’d look like this pic.twitter.com/M1XxXECDja

— Treyton Howell (@treytoncole) May 4, 2019

Some, however, many social media users took the opportunity to make memes regarding Thor's new look.

Fat Thor is my spirit animal pic.twitter.com/QAhSmxpYYq

— DJ ERIC B (@djericbmix) May 7, 2019

However, co-screenwriters of the film Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely clarified there was no intention to promote fat shaming by showing Thor as an overweight superhero.

The film portrays the thunder-lord battling depression and alcoholism in the aftermath of super villain Thanos' finger snap which happened in last years Infinity War.

PHOTO: FILE

Viewers were shocked to see the beloved superhero sporting a pot belly and a long, ragged beard when Endgame released on April 26. While some found jokes on Thor's body quite offensive, others appreciated the fact that the film does not show a once-again lean and super fit character by the end.

Markus and McFreely wanted to show the drastic toll that the events of the last film took on Thor, and that his body was the result of an emotional problem rather than a weight one.

PHOTO: FILE

“We didn’t go, like, ‘Let’s chunk him up, it’ll be hilarious'. And we leave him in that state at the end of the movie. Even though he’s emotionally resolved," the screenwriters said in an interview with Vulture.

They added, "We fixed his problem, and it’s not his weight. I know some people are sensitive about some of the humour that comes from it, which I understand.”

PHOTO: FILE

The ending of Avengers: Endgame implied that Thor will now join Guardians of the Galaxy, potentially popping up in the films upcoming solo threequel in 2021. The character was praised for being revitalised in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok, which topped Express UK's recent ranking of all 22 Marvel movies.

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