Chris Hemsworth Nearly Lost The Role Of Thor After Making A Questionable Choice
Chris Hemsworth was oh-so-close to losing the role of Thor early on because of a previous appearance on an Australian show
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It’s hard to imagine anyone but Chris Hemsworth playing Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That’s often the case with any actor or actress who’s taken on an iconic role for seven films over the last decade-plus. But we almost got a totally different actor in the role of the mighty Asgardian. It was revealed that Hemsworth nearly lost the gig before it started when he appeared on Dancing with the Stars Australia. A few dance steps nearly cost him the role of a lifetime.
This news came via professional dancer and choreographer Derek Hough in an interview with PopCulture. He says that after Marvel had cast Chris Hemsworth, but prior to filming Thor, the production crew found some video of the actor competing on the show. And apparently, it didn’t exactly fit the bill for what they were going for with the character in the early stages of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You can check out the older video below (with questionable sound quality) of the Hemsworth performance that nearly lost him the role of Thor.
This Chris Hemsworth performance was from 2006, about five years before he starred in Thor. But the video was found by some who worked at Marvel and were Googling his name after the casting. It was here that apparently Kevin Feige nearly had a change of heart about the casting, worrying that a clip like this would surface and undermine the stoicism and power of the God of Thunder. Whether this was a tongue-in-cheek response after the fact, a cute little anecdote, or whether they really almost pulled the plug isn’t quite certain. The truth is likely somewhere in between.
Remember, prior to being cast as Thor, Chris Hemsworth wasn’t exactly a household name in the United States on the big screen. He had been in a number of Australian productions but hadn’t made it stateside with his fame. Entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe early on in such an iconic role was the launchpad for his career. To think it almost didn’t happen because of a dancing show five years prior is tough to wrap your mind around.
Now, almost a decade, later Chris Hemsworth is set to take on Thor for the eighth time on the big screen. That will be when Thor: Love and Thunder comes out next year. It’s currently in post-production and will be another massive addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only will the Guardians of the Galaxy be back in the mix here along with Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, but we are also getting Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher and Russell Crowe as Zeus. And the biggest news is that Natalie Portman is returning and becoming The Mighty Thor.
So, it’s all well and good for Chris Hemsworth as Thor these days with the character going through many a transformation over the years. But to think it was just a few dance steps from never having been the case. Thank goodness those at Marvel saw past the samba and to the God he would become.
