Here are some assorted photos of Chris Hemsworth in London from the past 24 hours or so. He and Emily Blunt did a photocall for The Huntsman: Winter’s War, and Chris was also seen out today doing some radio and TV interviews. Plus, he was out at Claridge’s last night. Chris has joined his female costars (Emily, Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron) in doing a lot of early press for the film. While I’ve side-eyed Chris before for being largely absent from some previous promotional tours, we seem to be seeing Hemsworth 2.0: The Shiller. He’s more willing to talk about his family, his work and his feminism these days. From his new Radio Times interview:

Whether he considers himself a feminist: “Oh yeah, for sure. My mum’s a big feminist. I think that my views on things, as far as respect for women and so on, came from my mum. My dad has a very balanced and respectful view on a lot of things too. They were huge positive influences in my life.”

Working with badass ladies: “The strength of it was in these three women [Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt and Charlize Theron] and their performances, the heart and soul that they’ve blended through their characters. I think the balance has been tipped for a long time heavily in the men’s direction. There are seven to eight male superheroes and one female in there. This is the opposite. It’s exciting to be part of something like that. But it’s a funny conversation to even have, because of course it should be that way. Of course it should be equal.”

The Huntsman is stylistically different than SWATH: “The script is funnier and lighter. The visuals, the colours, the aesthetic – it’s brighter, it’s more fun. It reminds me of Willow or something like Indiana jones…[The Huntsman]’s past is coming back to haunt him. All sorts of repercussions to things that happened earlier in his life are boiling to the surface.”

He loves Jessica Chastain: “I remember the first thing she said was, ‘Do I get to kick ass?’ Jessica’s just bought such a live performance and character. [There’s] great fire and chemistry between the two characters, which is full of fun and it’s feisty. She’s probably the strongest one in the film, or the strongest out of the two of us. She’s great.”

Working with the all-female cast of the Ghostbusters: “[It’s] a heavily female thing, which is really cool. I didn’t plan it, I’m just happy to be a part of it… I read the script and Ioved it, all the girls involved especially. So I said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ I still don’t have a whole shooting script so I’m going to turn up in a week’s time and just go, ‘Give me something funny to say.'”

Coming back to Marvel: “I love being part of it, something that has that much of a following and an appreciation. You can take risks and do other things and if they don’t work, you can jump back on the Marvel train.”

[From Radio Times]

First, Feminist Hemsworth: I buy it. Does that make me naïve? I think he enjoys working with women and he would genuinely enjoy working on more female-led movies overall. I think he believes in equality. I think he’s really a feminist, or at the very least a feminist ally. I also think he was throwing shade at the Marvel Universe for how they’ve consistently mishandled the few female characters: “There are seven to eight male superheroes and one female in there.” Also, this was shockingly honest: “You can take risks and do other things and if they don’t work, you can jump back on the Marvel train.” That’s why we’re getting Hemsworth 2.0. After trying out his post-Marvel stardom in a series of leading roles in films that have bombed, he’s happy to go back to Marvel now, where he once couldn’t get away fast enough.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.