Waititi has said he is not positive the heavier-set Thor will appear in the upcoming sequel "Love and Thunder."

One of the big questions facing Taika Waititi’s “Thor: Love and Thunder” is whether or not the Chris Hemsworth’s superhero will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the weight he gained in “Avengers: Endgame.” Thor’s larger appearance (widely dubbed “Fat Thor” online) was greeted with a bit of controversy as some fans accused “Endgame” of being fat-phobic for the way it continually used Thor’s weight gain as as punchline for jokes. Waititi said in an interview last fall that his “Thor: Love and Thunder” script is completed but it had not yet been finalized whether Thor would appear as he did in “Endgame” or return to his more muscular physique.

“This is an ongoing debate that we’re still having at Marvel,” Waititi said. “‘Cause we’re trying to figure out how long — how many months or years — this is after ‘Endgame,’ at what point does this take place?

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is getting a jump on finding a solution for Waititi should he decide to have Thor back in shape for “Love and Thunder.” The pro-animal organization has sent the “Jojo Rabbit” and “Thor: Ragnarok” director an open letter urging him to have Thor go vegan should he need to lose weight for his appearance in his next MCU tentpole.

“Avengers: Endgame” screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely defended Thor’s weight gain following the release of the record-breaking blockbuster. The writers mentioned that by leaving Thor with his heavier weight at the end of the movie the film was saying the character’s size was inconsequential to his journey. “He’s emotionally resolved. We fix his problem, and it’s not his weight,” Markus said. “I know some people are sensitive about some of the humor that comes from it, which I understand. But our issue that we wanted him to deal with was his emotional state that his mom addresses. And I think he is the ideal Thor at the end of the movie, and he’s carrying some weight.”

“Thor: Love and Thunder” was originally scheduled to open in November 2021 but now has a release date set for February 18, 2022. Read PETA’s open letter to Waititi below.

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

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