We already knowChris Hemsworthcan convincingly playa god on the big screen — but theMarvel staralso has some superhuman lineament in real life , too . In Limitless With Chris Hemsworth , a fresh Disney+ serial created byDarren Aronofsky(Black Swan ) , we see Hemsworth engage in uttermost challenges designed to help the human organic structure push back against the age unconscious process .
The six episode let in “ jolt , ” in which Hemsworth swims through an Arctic ocean ; “ enduringness , ” affect a parlous raise ; “ Stress - Proof , ” involving an even more perilous climb ; “ Memory , ” an episode about wild survival ; “ fast , ” which sees Hemsworth on a supervised fasting ( while , perhaps most impressively , continuing to cook for his kidskin and suffer his pizza - eating friends ) ; and “ Acceptance , ” which use technology and an immersive setting to help the 30 - something Hemsworth experience what it feel like to be 80 - something .
io9 talk to Aronofsky about creating Limitless and working with Hemsworth ahead of the series ’ arrival on Disney+ today .
Professional freediver Tanya Streeter and Marvel star Chris Hemsworth swim with a turtle.Image: National Geographic for Disney+/Craig Perry
Cheryl Eddy , io9 : We know you mostly from features like Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream and your new film , The Whale . What made you want to shift gears and work on this infotainment serial publication ?
Darren Aronofsky : Well , I ’ve been kind of playing around in the [ skill - documentary genre ] for , I do n’t know , seven , eight years or so . My dada was a science teacher . I was trained as a subject field biologist . And I ’ve just been focused on science my whole life . When Nat Geo call me quite a while ago to work on [ 2018 serial publication ] One Strange Rock , it was a dream come true . And I ’ve been excited to keep turn on that part of my calling since that .
io9 : How did you settle which challenges to let in in Limitless With Chris Hemsworth ?
Chris Hemsworth and longevity expert Dr. Peter Attia prepare a meager meal in the “Fasting” episode.Image: National Geographic for Disney+/Craig Perry
Aronofsky : We knew we were doing six episode , [ so we centered them around ] the six pillars of seniority — the kind of lowest - hang fruit of things that people could do to help themselves live better , longer . That ’s where we start . And then , out of the different subject of those different episode , we tried to figure out an exciting risky venture to the magnetic core of the science that would help explain it to the interview .
io9 : Which episode do you think was the toughest for Chris Hemsworth to film ? Did you ever worry that he would fail any of the challenges ?
Aronofsky : Oh , yeah . I imply , Chris Hemsworth fast for four day . I knew that was going to be tough because the amount of kilocalorie he pack in to play Thor . I recognise it was going to be a challenge for him . The Arctic swimming was truly a massive feat . I was there when that happened , and it was terrify to drown into a headwind 200 yards in ice insensate water [ wearing ] fundamentally a pair of boardshorts — I could n’t even reckon making [ it ] 15 , 20 feet if it was me . So it was really an telling effort . All of the challenges were really designed well , to push him in ways he was n’t certain he would be able-bodied to pull off .
Chris Hemsworth wears a contraption that makes him experience the effects of old age in the “Acceptance” episode.Image: National Geographic for Disney+/Craig Perry
io9 : Chris Hemsworth is obviously a topnotch set flick genius with access to imagination not uncommitted to the medium individual . What do you hope audiences who catch Limitless — veritable folks , in other words — take away from see him complete these challenge ?
Aronofsky : We were really measured and thoughtful in making sure that there were takeaways that everyone , no matter where you are on the planet , could apply in everyday life . The examples that were used for the show were extreme examples , to make them hold . But every single show has something that everyone in the world can take forth and use in their quotidian lives .
io9 : Did form on Limitless invigorate you to make any changes in your life ?
Aronofsky : I was already sort of following a slew of these things because I ’m older friends with [ longevity expert ] Dr. Peter Attia . I ’ve been thinking about this stuff since I did The spring in 2006 .
io9 : Most of the episodes rivet on these sort of superhuman acts of strength and hardihood . But to me , the “ Acceptance ” episode was the most fundamental . Why was it significant for you to include a look at end - of - life result in a show about trying to live longer ?
Aronofsky : Because actually , the science shows that having a peacefulness and acceptance with your ending of life will really allow you to live longer . It was actually from the beginning the main rationality I did the show — I always have intercourse that doing a show on longevity , you have to talk about death . It was n’t always obvious to the studio apartment that that was a good thought , but as I kept pushing it and tell Nat Geo , “ Hey , we really need to do this show , ” they got more and more excited when they embark on to see it come in to life .
io9 : How did you design the way that he stays in for that episode ? Some aspects of it were mirthful , but some very poignant , too .
Aronofsky : We wanted to hearten a a senior life facility , put him in , and then , of course , we want to make it personalized . I do n’t require to give away too [ much ] of what happens in that elbow room . There were just a lot of conversations and discussion about how we how we how we would pull it off .
io9 : There are some , we ’ll call them Easter eggs cover in there .
Aronofsky : Exactly .
io9 : Why was Disney+ the correct outlet for this serial publication ? Was there a intellect beyond Chris Hemsworth being a Marvel star ?
Aronofsky : Well , my relationship starts with Nat Geo . It ’s really an incredible personal matter for me . I ’ve been a huge buff of Nat Geo since I was a little boy , and so I ’ve had a long relationship with them . And I love what ’s happened to Nat Geo in that that has the support of Disney and Disney+ to touch declamatory audience . That ’s just exciting as as a content creator to have access to that size of consultation .
io9 : How do you balance your schedule between feature film directing and working on projects like Limitless ?
Aronofsky : It ’s all simultaneous . Limitless have us three years to make . And in that time I also made The Whale . Also , we produced [ Netflix film ] The Good Nurse . We have [ FX serial ] Kindred come out next month . So I work with a bunch of great young producer at Protozoa , my company , and we ’re just constantly pushing forward set of dissimilar projects .
Here ’s an exclusive clip from the “ Shock ” episode of Limitless , in which you see Chris Hemsworth emerging from the freezing water and jokingly ( but not really ) calling to his first Arctic dip “ the most horrendous affair ” he ’s ever done .
All six episodes of Limitless With Chris Hemsworth are now streaming on Disney+ .
desire more io9 newsworthiness ? Check out when to expect the latestMarvel , Star Wars , andStar Trekreleases , what ’s next for theDC Universe on celluloid and TV , and everything you need to know about James Cameron’sAvatar : The Way of Water .
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