Chris Hemsworth says it was 'intimidating' seeing Natalie Portman as Mighty Thor for the first time

• Chris Hemsworth recalled his reaction to seeing Natalie Portman dressed as Mighty Thor for the first time.
• Hemsworth said he was intimidated and it was "a little stab to the ego, but I quickly got over it."

Chris Hemsworth opened up about his experience seeing "Thor: Love and Thunder" costar Natalie Portman's transformation into Mighty Thor for the first time.

"Intimidating," Hemsworth told Variety at the Los Angeles premiere of the film on Thursday. "A little stab to the ego, but I quickly got over it and I was in awe of everything she had done one and off the screen. I'm such a fan.

Hemsworth and Portman reprise their roles as Thor and Jane Foster, respectively, in the upcoming fourth "Thor" film as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

This time around, Portman will be wielding the hammer as Mighty Thor, the superhero version of the character from the comics.

Little is known about how she goes from a renowned astrophysicist to a superhero, but Portman has spoken about the physical preparation that went into her return to the MCU.

In a recent interview with Variety, Portman said that she was asked "to get as big as possible" for the movie.

She also spoke about how she developed a muscular physique for "Love and Thunder" during a 2021 interview with Vanity Fair.

"It was really fun," she said. "I worked with a trainer, Naomi Pendergast, for, I think it was, four months before shooting, and then obviously all the way through filming. We did a lot of weight training and a lot of protein shakes—heavyweight training that I haven't ever done before."

She added: "Of course, I've never really aimed to get bulky. It was very physical, so it was a lot of both agility work and also strength work."

Hemsworth also bulked up even more for "Love and Thunder," though he said that he wouldn't adopt that "brutal" fitness routine outside of his Marvel role.

"It's become a hobby now, and it allows me to live a full life and play with my kids and surf," he said of working out in a recent interview with Extra. "It was a chore at one point, and now it becomes an addiction. I love it, I do love it. I don't like working out necessarily to get to 'Thor' size — that is brutal on my body and the amount of food and so on."

"Thor: Love and Thunder" hits theaters on Friday, July 8.