Chris Hemsworth To Play Flash Gordon?
Chris Hemsworth could be the savior of the universe, Flash Gordon.
This article is more than 2 years old
Chris Hemsworth has already carved out a particular niche in the blockbuster arena as the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of the superhero Thor. And he will even show up in the new Mad Max spinoff film, Furiosa. Now, it sounds like the Australian actor could be up for one of the most iconic roles in the history of science-fiction.
We Got This Covered is reporting that Chris Hemsworth is being courted to play none other than pulp sci-fi icon Flash Gordon. The hero dates all the way back to the 1930s and has been adapted into a number of different types of media. The most recognizable of these is likely the 1980 film starring Sam J. Jones as the titular hero. Just because it’s an excuse to do so, we now all have to watch the awesome opening credits of that film and rock out to the amazing title song by Queen. It’s the rules.
Chris Hemsworth seems like pretty on-the-nose casting for the role of Flash Gordon. The character is something of a himbo, and if you search for that word, you will see a picture of Hemsworth as the first result. Perfect! Flash is often depicted as a handsome athlete who gets swept up into a space opera adventure that he approaches with expected heroic flair. Hemsworth has proven he has the knack for this kind of character, especially after the exceptionally fun Thor: Ragnarok.
Much like the upcoming Buck Rogers movie, it will be interesting to see how Chris Hemsworth will deal with being in a property that ended up as a huge inspiration for Star Wars. Will audiences think it is ripping off Star Wars when that franchise actually owes an enormous debt to Flash Gordon? And with the campy 1980 film being such a touchstone for many fans, will this new iteration lean more towards self-aware comedy and ridiculousness?
Regardless, Chris Hemsworth almost seems too perfect for the role. It might be that he is at the top of the list of actors that producers are looking at for the upcoming adaptation. He might also be used as a barometer to judge other actors for the role. It might be too pricey to afford Chris Hemsworth, but if auditioning actors know that that’s the kind of type the producers are looking for, they might be able to adjust their performance to better emulate Hemsworth’s particular comedic and heroic qualities.
We will just have to wait and see if Chris Hemsworth will be flying through space and fighting Ming the Merciless in order to save the universe from total devastation. The world of blockbuster science-fiction could use a serious injection of throwback, campy fun. We hope we will get to see this new iteration of Flash Gordon on the big screen sooner rather than later. And if Hemsworth is starring in it? All the better. Now, excuse us while we get back to banging our heads to that undeniably rocking Queen track. You’ll thank us for getting it stuck in your head.
