Anthony Hopkins recently described acting in Marvel movies as 'pointless acting'.
The actor first starred in the 2011 MCU entry Thor as Odin, the King of Asgard and Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) father.
Hopkins again returned to the big screen for the 2013 sequel, Thor: The Dark World and 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, with the first three films in the Thor franchise all having a different director at the helm.
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The 85-year-old Hollywood icon recently commented on his experience working on the superhero films and certainly didn't hold back.
In a wide-ranging feature in The New Yorker on how Marvel has 'swallowed' Hollywood, Hopkins said: “They put me in armor; they shoved a beard on me. Sit on the throne, shout a bit.
"If you’re sitting in front of a green screen, it’s pointless acting it.”
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However, Hopkins had previously credited working with Thor director Kenneth Branagh for influencing his decision to continue his acting career, which, at the time, he had considered 'giving it up'.
In the 2021 book, The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hopkins said that Branagh had given him the 'energy' to continue working.
“Branagh gave me back the chops to work. I was gonna give it up, really. But you see, [Branagh] won’t let you do that,” he said.
“Working with Ken was quite an injection of new energy into my life. He seems to have that same infectious quality on everybody in the crew.
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“His enthusiasm, his attitude, is so positive, that he brings out the best in everybody.”
Branagh did not return to direct the second Thor instalment, Thor: The Dark World, which was instead directed by Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor.
Taika Waititi then took over directing duties for the third and fourth instalments of the franchise, Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder.
Thor: Ragnarok saw the death of Hopkin's character and archive footage was used of him for Thor: Love and Thunder.
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Over the course of his career, which has spanned over 60 years, the Welsh actor has received two Academy Awards, four BAFTA Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards and an Olivier award.
He was showered with praise and acclaim for his starring roles in The Elephant Man, The Silence of the Lambs, The Father and Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
And on the small screen, Hopkins’ projects also include King Lear and the HBO series Westworld.
Topics: Film and TV, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Celebrity