Chris Hemsworth's Muscle Transformation Stunned 'Thor 4' Star Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman is deeply impressed by the physical transformation of her Thor: Love and Thunder co-star Chris Hemsworth—even if she’s not exactly sure what’s going on with his body.

“It’s otherworldly,” Portman said during a virtual appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live (opens in new tab). Kimmel and Portman were reacting to a recent Instagram post where Hemsworth showed off (opens in new tab) his bulked-up physique, part of his preparation to play '80s and '90s wrestling star Hulk Hogan (opens in new tab).

The image shows the Thor and Avengers star flipping over a large truck tire, which Hemsworth jokingly calls a “cheat day donut.” His biceps and shoulders are even bigger than usual, approaching the almost cartoonishly jacked levels achieved by Hogan in his heyday. As Kimmel comments, “I haven’t seen Chris for about a year, and I think he has gained about 40 pounds of muscle, at least based on that photo.”

Portman agrees, going on to say, “I’m so unversed in what muscles do and how they get like that. Does the blood drain out of you when you use your muscles? Because it looks so white.” Hemsworth could probably offer some tips on how muscles work, as he frequently shares his workouts on Instagram (opens in new tab) and has a fitness and wellbeing app, Centr, run by his training team.

“But I feel like it’s a t-shirt tan,” Portman continues. “Is that what’s happening?” She suggests a spray tan to help even out his look, before admitting that she’s feeling the challenge of having to appear with him in the upcoming fourth Thor movie. “He’s looking good. It’s a lot of pressure! I’m going to look like his little grandma next to him.”