Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson Had an Ice Bath ‘Test of Strength’ on ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

“Thor: The Ice Bucket Challenge”?

The latest MCU installment “Thor: Love and Thunder” may be a “wacky” film, according to lead star Chris Hemsworth, but the real antics happened offscreen. Natalie Portman returns as Jane Foster but with new powers as Mighty Thor. The actress hit the gym “hard” alongside Hemsworth to play the superhero, while Tessa Thompson reprised her role as warrior Valkyrie. But the “Thor” cast became extra competitive outside of the gym.

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“We had a big ice bath there, which we’d rotate through, and that became the real test of strength,” Hemsworth told Entertainment Tonight. “I’d done it a bit, but I sort of was keeping my time in there to a minute or two, and [Tessa] came in the first day and did three and a half minutes. So then we all had to try and do three minutes.”

“Thor: Love and Thunder,” in theaters July 8, also marks the MCU debuts for Christian Bale as villain Gorr the God Butcher, Russell Crowe as Zeus, and Melissa McCarthy in a cameo as part of an Asgardian acting troupe, alongside Matt Damon, Luke Hemsworth, and Sam Neill. Hemsworth revealed that the “biggest challenge” for writer-director Taika Waititi was piecing together the comedic improvisations from the film, which also stars “Guardians of the Galaxy” staples Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Sean Gunn, and Karen Gillan.

“It just gives the whole set a different energy. Everything that you see on screen is a byproduct of that environment,” Hemsworth added of improv. “Taika does that: he orchestrates a wacky set and then gives you a wacky film.”

The “Avengers” star continued, “This film is, how can I put it? It’s one of the craziest things, if not the craziest thing, [writer-director Taika Waititi] has ever made. I think it’s the most insane thing I’ve been a part of.”

Waititi himself has called the film “the craziest thing I’ve ever done,” saying, “I definitely feel like we put everything — every idea and every single ridiculous concept or gag or stunt or character — into this film. I couldn’t be happier with it.”

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