How Truly Massive was Thor‘s Size in Ragnarok?

In the epic Thor: Ragnarok, Chris Hemsworth portrayed a version of the God of Thunder that was bigger and more jacked than we‘ve ever seen before on screen. After years of playing the character, Hemsworth increased his training intensity and diet to achieve Thor‘s greatest comic-accurate size yet for Ragnarok. But just how towering and swole was Thor in the blockbuster film? Let‘s break down the facts and figures behind the character‘s growth into a truly massive divine figure.

As a lifelong Thor fan myself, I was thrilled to see Big T fully unleashed in all his bulking glory in Ragnarok. The character has fluctuated in size across his decades in comics, ranging from a moderately muscular hero to a giant, looming powerhouse. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby originally conceived him as a hunky hammer-wielder, but not extremely massive. That changed in the 1980s when Walter Simonson‘s acclaimed run on the comics portrayed Thor at his peak size and strength as a towering behemoth.

Hemsworth‘s Intense Training for Size

In order to match that immense stature for Ragnarok, Hemsworth trained harder than ever with celebrity trainer Luke Zocchi, as he detailed to Men‘s Health:

• Trained up to 4 hours per day, 6 days per week
• Focused on heavy weight lifting, bodyweight exercises, martial arts, swimming
• Targeted bigger chest, back, arms, and thighs
• Used intense techniques like cluster sets, drop sets, forced reps
• Continued to train and add mass during the filming itself

"My training has been very much calisthenics-based…using my own body weight, plus some big compound lifts – deadlifts, squats, push presses, pull ups," Hemsworth told Muscle & Fitness.

Here are some examples from his workouts leading up to filming, according to his trainers:

• Bench press – up to 335 lbs for 6 reps
• Deadlift – up to 495 lbs for 3 reps
• Push press – up to 270 lbs for 3 reps

That immense strength training clearly paid off, as Hemsworth‘s physique reached beastly new proportions.

The Stats: Height, Weight, and Size

So exactly how big did Hemsworth get? According to the site CelebHeights, the actor stands 6‘3" (191 cm) without shoes. For Thor: Ragnarok, various reports stated that he bulked up to around 215 pounds or more.

To put on that extra mass, Hemsworth was eating over 6,000 calories per day, focusing on lean protein sources like chicken, fish, eggs, and protein shakes. He also snacked on nuts and avocados for healthy fats. According to PopSugar, Hemsworth weighed:

That‘s a gain of 25 pounds of sheer muscle from his previous outing as the God of Thunder. Hemsworth reached his biggest screen size ever through intense diet and training, allowing Thor to become the massive beast he is in the comics.

Bigger Than the Hulk?

To highlight his immense stature, the filmmakers intentionally portrayed Thor as noticeably larger than Mark Ruffalo‘s version of the Hulk in Ragnarok.

The Hulk is supposed to be one of Marvel‘s biggest bruisers, so making Thor visibly bigger and taller on screen was a clear visual cue to his unprecedented strength. Even the wider shots show Hemsworth‘s Thor towering over the green goliath.

As director Taika Waititi explained:

"It’s about Thor being at his peak condition and size and strength, and being aware of it. I wanted people to go, ‘Holy sh*t!‘ We really wanted to show how strong he was."

Having Thor so massive also sets up an epic contrast for his shape-shifting opponent Hela, played by Cate Blanchett. She appears slender and relatively normal sized, yet her power forces Thor to become bigger than ever to take her on.

Godly Proportions: Taller Than Kratos

For another size comparison, Thor appears much larger and taller than video game icon Kratos from the God of War series.

In God of War Ragnarok, Kratos stands around 6‘6" according to character models. But Thor‘s height is estimated at a towering 7‘4" or more in the game. Thor‘s voice actor described him as "seven foot something tall" and he looks to be over a foot bigger than Kratos.

This enormous gap in height and bulk between the two godly characters accurately captures Thor‘s otherworldly stature described in Norse mythology. Next to Kratos, Hemsworth‘s Thor appears every bit the giant-slaying beast he‘s meant to be.

The Meaning Behind Thor‘s Growth in Size

Some fans just viewed the increased bulk as superficial, but I think it carries deeper meaning for Thor as a character. After losing Mjolnir in Thor: Ragnarok, Hemsworth‘s Thor is forced to tap into his innate powers as the God of Thunder. His physique expanding reflects this newfound strength.

The loss of his hammer was a humiliation for Thor, so bulking up to unprecedented proportions shows he is more powerful, even without his signature weapon. Thor‘s growth in stature directly mirrors his growth in power and self-belief.

Ragnarok also draws straight from Thor‘s comic origins in the iconic Walter Simonson run, when he was depicted at his most jacked. The film is showing Thor can become that same figure – the tallest, strongest version that truly embodies his divine abilities.

As a fan, seeing the towering Thor at full power on screen was a landmark moment. Hemsworth‘s training and effort effectively captured Thor‘s mythic might for a new generation. The God of Thunder was truly unleashed in all his swole glory in Ragnarok!

Let me know what you think – does Hemsworth‘s hulking Thor in Ragnarok match your image of the character from the comics? Did you appreciate seeing Thor at his biggest and strongest on screen? I‘d love to hear your thoughts!