Chris Hemsworth & Tom Holland’s ‘In the Heart of the Sea’ Fixes Major Marvel Mistake

by

Chris Hemsworth and Tom Holland are huge stars thanks to their roles as Thor and Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, like one other Marvel film, their careers have suffered from a common problem: projects outside of the MCU are often unfairly compared to, and seen as less important than, their Marvel work.

Interestingly, a movie that achieved something Marvel has struggled with came out before Tom Holland’s first appearance as Spider-Man, but after Chris Hemsworth debuted as Thor. It immediately impressed both critics and audiences, giving a clear indication of whether it was worth seeing. Before we dive into this unusual film, let’s talk about the most obvious issue.

Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Tom Holland’s Peter Parker Have Yet To Meet in the MCU


Marvel Studios

It might sound surprising, considering Chris Hemsworth has been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2011 and Tom Holland since 2016, but their characters haven’t officially met on screen. They were both present during the Battle of Earth in the finale of Avengers: Endgame, but they’ve never actually shared a scene together in any Marvel movie.

When Tom Holland first played Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, Thor was off in space searching for the Infinity Stones, which led to the events of Thor: Ragnarok. By the time Thor returned in Avengers: Infinity War, he was again on space missions, this time with Rocket and Groot from the Guardians of the Galaxy. Meanwhile, Spider-Man joined forces with Tony Stark and Doctor Strange to fight Thanos on Titan. Sadly, Spider-Man was then one of the many victims of Thanos’ snap. Because of this, Spider-Man and Thor didn’t share any screen time in Endgame, as Spider-Man was gone for the majority of the film.

A significant misstep for the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the lack of interaction between Peter Parker (Spider-Man) and Thor. Both Chris Hemsworth and Tom Holland are massive stars, and a scene together would be a huge treat for fans. Despite this, Marvel has kept their characters separate for over a decade, ever since Spider-Man joined the MCU in Civil War. Currently, there’s only one movie where they share the screen, which feels like a missed opportunity, especially considering similar plot recycling seen in other recent Marvel projects like the potential storyline for Avengers: Doomsday.

Chris Hemsworth and Tom Holland Have Shared the Screen in Exactly One Film So Far

Before Tom Holland became Spider-Man, he and Chris Hemsworth starred together in the intense film In the Heart of the Sea. Released in 2015, the movie tells the true story of the crew of the whaling ship Essex, which was attacked by a huge sperm whale in 1820 – a story that inspired Moby-Dick. The film depicts the 90-day struggle for survival as the crew battled starvation, thirst, and ultimately, resorted to cannibalism. Chris Hemsworth plays Owen Chase, the ship’s first mate and one of the few who lived to tell the tale. Tom Holland portrays young Thomas Nickerson, a cabin boy and another survivor, whose older self narrates the film.

While Chris Hemsworth and Tom Holland both appeared in Infinity War and Endgame, they never shared any scenes together. Their movie In the Heart of the Sea is different – it actually features them acting together. The film also boasts a strong supporting cast with actors like Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Benjamin Walker, and Ben Whishaw, but Hemsworth and Holland were definitely the biggest draws. Though praised for its classic feel and faithfulness to the original story, the movie wasn’t a major success and has largely been forgotten.

‘In the Heart of the Sea’ Was a Massive Box Office Flop, But There’s Still Hope for Holland and Hemsworth


Warner Bros. Pictures

Despite the appeal of seeing Chris Holland and Chris Hemsworth together, the film In the Heart of the Sea wasn’t successful. It cost $100 million to make but only earned $94 million worldwide, making it a financial failure. In North America, it only brought in about $25 million, resulting in a significant loss for Warner Bros. Pictures. To make matters worse, critics didn’t love the film, and it currently has a 42% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Ron Howard’s whale movie didn’t quite succeed, but it does create an opportunity for a team-up between Holland and Hemsworth’s characters. The problems with In the Heart of the Sea could be solved if Spider-Man and Thor finally interact within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After a decade with no interaction between them, a meeting in films like Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, or Avengers: Secret Wars would be great. With Robert Downey Jr. returning as a powerful villain, it would be especially helpful for Spider-Man and Thor to work together to defeat Doctor Doom and save the world.

While we’re still waiting to find out if the rumored team-up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will happen, you can currently watch In the Heart of the Sea on YouTube for free (with ads). Let us know what you think in the comments – whether you loved it or not!




4 Questions

Thor & Spidey: Test Your MCU Crossover Knowledge!
Your Top Score
—
Attempts
—
0
0
Report Error

Found an error? Send it info@movieweb.com so it can be corrected.

Read More

2026-03-15 18:33