Chris Hemsworth is no stranger to the challenges of getting into god-like shape, but the Thor star’s training regime for his upcoming Netflix movie sounds even more ludicrous than usual.
While promoting Hemsworth’s new Disney Plus series, Limitless with Chris Hemsworth, in a recent interview with TechRadar, sports scientist and ultra-marathon swimmer Ross Edgley gave an insight into the actor’s "obscene" physical preparation for Extraction 2, which is due for release on Netflix sometime in 2023.
"When I was lucky enough to be on the set of Thor," Edgley told us, "Chris would do a 12-hour day's filming, and then at the end, he knew he had to do his rope conditioning [for Limitless], so he would just start disappearing up a rope. But he did something like four movies in a year – I think it was Extraction [2], Thor: Love and Thunder, Spiderhead, and [one other]. His work capacity was so big.
"He bulks up and he's eating eight meals a day for Thor, then everyone’s like, ‘Oh god, we need you lean for Extraction [2], because that character's a bit more [athletic].’ So he just stopped eating so much, and then set off running half marathons to drop weight. That would leave most people in bed. It was just obscene."
Rapid diet changes and daily half marathons? Perhaps that’s advice our resident Fitness and Wellbeing Editor, Matt Evans, should heed for his own marathon preparations (only joking, Matt – spare yourself!).
Even Edgley, who holds various fitness-related world records – including one for being the first man in history to swim the entire circumference of Great Britain (2,860 km) in just 157 days – found Hemsworth’s extreme commitment to his movie roles inspiring.
"For me, as an athlete, I'm so used to periodizing my training," Edgley explained. "I have an event. There’s a recovery mesocycle. Everything is meticulously planned. And then I see Chris doing 12-hour film days and still training for rope climbing [and everything else]. It made me think outside of the bubble that is strength and conditioning. That’s one thing I took away [from filming Limitless with Chris]: his work ethic."
As the name suggests, Extraction 2 is a direct sequel to Sam Hargrave’s 2020 Netflix original movie, and will see Hemsworth’s seemingly indestructible hero, Tyler Rake, returning for another high-stakes (and invariably globe-trotting) special ops mission.
Not much is known about the film’s premise beyond Netflix’s similar-sounding official synopsis, but the streamer did share a behind-the-scenes teaser for Extraction 2 back in September:
As mentioned, Extraction 2 is slated for release in 2023, but no seasonal window has been provided as yet. Its predecessor – one of the best Netflix movies back in the day – was released in April 2020, so there’s a chance that Netflix could opt for the symmetrical approach and drop Extraction 2 in April 2023, but that’s really just speculation on our part.
In any case, we’ll be reporting on Extraction 2 and more new Netflix movies in the coming months, so stay tuned to TechRadar for the latest news.
