Thor: Love and Thunder definitely pulls at the heartstrings. Like many of its predecessors, the latest project in the Marvel Cinematic Universe revolves around a few key interpersonal relationships — one could even argue that the MCU is as much an interconnected family drama as it is a superhero franchise. (Warning: Major spoilers for Thor: Love and Thunder follow.)
The opening scene of Love and Thunder shows Gorr (Christian Bale) mourning the sudden death of his young daughter. Following this devastating loss, Gorr spends the rest of the movie trying to kill as many gods as possible — until the end, when he passes up a chance to destroy all the god in one fell swoop, instead choosing to resurrect his daughter. As Gorr lies dying, he asks Thor (Chris Hemsworth) to raise and care for his daughter. The Norse god adopts the girl, and she’s later shown calling him “Uncle Thor.” Together, the audience learns, the pair are known as “Love and Thunder.”
If Hemsworth’s character seems particularly affectionate towards his former nemesis’ child, chances are that wasn’t just acting. Below, everything about the little girl from Thor: Love and Thunder, including her famous parents and her ties to another character in the comics.
Love Is Played By India Hemsworh — aka Chris Hemsworth’s Daughter
If you haven’t guessed by now, Love is played by Hemsworth’s 10-year-old daughter, India.
India has been around since the beginning of Hemsworth’s Marvel career, and now, she’s joined him in the MCU. In a recent Instagram post, Hemsworth shared a throwback photo of himself and an infant India on the set of 2011’s Thor, alongside a more recent image of the two of them on the Love and Thunder set. “She’s my [favorite] superhero,” he wrote in the caption.
According to an interview published to Marvel’s website earlier this month, Love and Thunder director (and writer and co-star) Taika Waititi said that casting Hemsworth’s daughter “was not always the plan” for the film. “The idea started really when Chris was talking about [his daughter] India. And he was like, ‘Oh, you know, it would kind of be quite cool for me to be in a scene with my daughter,’” Waititi said. “I started looking around like, ‘Oh, everyone has kids. All of these actors have kids.’” This led to several actors’ children getting cast in the movie, in addition to India: Bale’s, Waititi’s and Natalie Portman’s kids played New Asgardian children.
Despite her close ties to the film’s star, India still had to try out for the role. Hemsworth stated that he and his wife, Elsa Pataky (who also makes a brief appearance in Love and Thunder), helped tape her audition for Waititi before an offer was made.
She’s Not The Only Hemsworth Child In The Movie
Waititi found a way to make Love and Thunder a multi-generational affair. Hemsworth’s other children — 8-year-old twins Tristan and Sasha — landed cameos as well (Tristan as a young Thor, and Sasha as an Asgardian child).
Love Isn’t Really Based On A Comics Character
In Love and Thunder, Love dies early in the movie, and is brought back by Gorr and ultimately raised by Thor. None of that happens in the comics, nor is there a character that shares her name. However, Marvel sleuths have pointed out similarities she shares with other minor characters in the comics; Love might well be an amalgamation of them.
The franchise leaves room to expand Love’s character. That being said, Hemsworth hinted that India most likely wouldn’t reprise her role in future films. “It felt sort of like a one-off, fun family experience,” Hemsworth recently told Good Day DC. “I don’t want them to now go and be child stars and actors. It was just a special … experience we all had and they loved it. They had a great time.”
