God of War Ragnarok's Thor Is The Peak Of Male Performance, Powerlifting Champion Says

God of War: Ragnarok includes a new mythological character, Thor, who is played by Sons of Anarchy's Ryan Hurst and sports a different look compared to Chris Hemsworth's MCU version. Some corners of the internet and social media took issue with Thor's look in Ragnarok. British powerlifting champion Darren McCormac has now shared his insights on Thor's appearance in Ragnarok, saying Thor's bulk is indicative of his super-strength.

"Like it or not, God of War's Thor is the peak of male performance," McCormac told The Sixth Axis. "As a strength athlete, there is a correlation between bulk and strength. In powerlifting, the most competitive classes are the under 100kg and under 110kg--guys who are lifting multiple times their own bodyweight. They won't be tall, they'll be bulky."

"Not all these guys will have abs, far from it," he added. "They'll have a layer of lard over it, a power belly. Any old fool can get abs--yes I am looking at you, Mr. Hemsworth--but a power belly and big traps (the muscles either side of your neck) are the sign of a bloody strong man."

There are some exceptions, but in general, the competitors in the World's Strongest Man competitions are usually "brick houses with power bellies." This helps give them a strong center of gravity, McCormac said.

Ragnarok is in development at Sony Santa Monica and is slated for release in 2022 for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. It picks up after the events of 2018's God of War and, in addition to Thor, brings in new characters like Odin, Angrboða, and Tyr.

Behind the scenes, Eric Williams is directing Ragnarok, taking over for Cory Barlog, who is now making something else. Bear McCreary is returning to compose the music. For more, check out GameSpot's rundown of everything we know about God of War Ragnarok.