I’ve not got actual scoop on Avengers: Doomsday or Spider-Man: Brand New Day, set to be released on December 18, 2026 and July 31, 2026 respectively, but that doesn’t mean my chat with Thor star Chris Hemsworth about his new Disney+ documentary series Limitless: Live Better Now wasn’t fruitful for Marvel fans. In fact, I was told an Avengers anecdote I’ve never heard before.
Let’s set the scene. Limitless follows Hemsworth as he learns to live a healthier life for longer by being sent on various challenges, from playing the drums at a sold-out stadium for Ed Sheeran to being put through his paces in a South Korean SAS training regime. Obviously, none of these things are directly related to the MCU, but it’s clear he’s learned a great deal about how to improve both his physical and mental abilities, as well as their tolerance. As he approaches the grueling third episode, it genuinely looks like a case of mind over matter, as you watch him having to push through multiple barriers in order to get the job done.
Here’s where Ruffalo comes in. “I remember Mark Ruffalo saying this to me, ‘the things that scare you, they’re the ones you go and tackle, because they’re the ones you’re gonna learn the most from.’ And that was this experience,” Hemsworth explains as he’s asked more broadly about his career. “And that’s what I’m seeking now, things I haven’t tried before, different adventures to continue to learn and be open to what else is out there.” For both of these A-listers, “what else is out there” currently comes in the form of Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which are both shooting as of writing. So, how could this shared nugget of wisdom impact both movies?
Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day could see their stars swinging more boldly than ever before
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Ruffalo doesn’t have a surprise cameo in Limitless, but having seen the entire documentary series, I think the answer to the above lies in what we see. Not only does Hemsworth work directly with his Marvel stuntman Bobby Hanton in episode 2, but he’s clearly built up some extra resilience for things that have hampered him in the past. We learn about the chronic back pain he’s had since he was a teenager, learning to work through physical pain using a range of methods, from stomach-cramping Jenga games to meditation with Korean monks. He’s even seen doing multiple physical stunts on his own accord rather than relying on Bobby.
Does this mean Thor could be more physically agile than we’ve seen him in previous Avengers movies? Possibly, but I think the Limitless process will have given Hemsworth more confidence to push himself in every conceivable way. There’s no doubt that Doomsday will be as demanding as it will be intricate, being set up as the next pinnacle in Marvel’s cinematic history, and there will certainly be a pressure to deliver that. With a world intent in uncovering leaks (like these images for Avengers: Doomsday) and what’s happening on set in real-time, the mental and physical stamina Hemsworth has built up over the documentary’s three episodes means we’ll likely be getting the best version of Thor there’s ever been.
“Take those steps, make those choices,” he continues about his Limitless experience. “Seek new adventures, seek new experiences. The things that scare you, visit them a little more often so they become familiar. It’s what the unknown is, what’s terrifying. The more familiar we are with the unfamiliar, the more comfortable we are with being uncomfortable. We prepare ourselves for whatever life’s gonna throw at us.
“I just think removing some of those safety nets and barriers is incredibly healthy. It’s on the individual to know what might be a big risk to take. For me, it is very different to the next person. In our quieter moments we know where our thresholds lie, so let’s visit them a bit more often.”
I like the sound of that so much, I’ve basically ordered my Doomsday popcorn already. But where does this leave Ruffalo? His return as Hulk in Spider-Man: Brand New Day came as something of a surprise, but as the original giver of this wisdom to Hemsworth, there’s no doubt we’ll forget Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk in the blink of an eye (well, we already have). We haven’t seen him in Marvel territory since She Hulk, which means any onscreen appearance will automatically be braver than that. But as the real world has changed and Ruffalo continues to remain outspoken about it, I have no doubt he’ll be the Hemsworth of Spider-Man, so to speak.
