After 15 years, it’s hard to imagine anyone playing Thor other than Chris Hemsworth. The God of Thunder was the breakout role for the charismatic actor after a scene-stealing performance in the opening sequence of Star Trek. Since then, Hemsworth has played Thor in four standalone films and four Avengers movies, with a fifth on the horizon in Avengers: Doomsday. Looking back at the production for 2011’s Thor, there were some major names in line for the titular role, from established actors to performers who went on to become big stars in later years. One of the most interesting things to consider is how different the Marvel Cinematic Universe would look with one of these actors playing the God of Thunder instead of Chris Hemsworth. It is impossible to know whether they would have done better or worse, yet it certainly would’ve been different, and it would’ve changed the trajectory of each actor’s career.
Some of the potential names for Thor were surprising, like pro wrestler Triple H, while others actually eventually joined the MCU, like Channing Tatum. In fact, one of the actors considered to play Thor didn’t land the role, yet actually almost played another MCU character in a future film.
The idea of Tom Hiddleston playing Loki sounds odd because he has become so iconic as Thor’s brother Loki. However, Hiddleston was actually one of the favorites to land the titular role. He got pretty far in the audition process, to the point where Hiddleston even did a screen test in a long blonde wig and wearing a fake muscular body. That footage was eventually shown during an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe was still growing at the time, and they wanted to focus on relatively unknown actors who wouldn’t be associated with previous major roles. Tom Hiddleston fit that bill in the same way that Chris Hemsworth did. They ultimately saw just how versatile Hiddleston is as a performer and instead cast him as the God of Mischief, Loki. That was a stroke of genius, as both he and Hemsworth have perfected their respective roles over the past decade and a half.
An even bigger surprise to learn is that Chris Hemsworth’s younger brother Liam also auditioned for the role of Thor. Liam was even less well known than Chris at the time and he was also only 18 years old when he auditioned. While taking part in the famous lie detector test interview with Vanity Fair, Chris explained that Liam tried out and they never crossed paths during the process. In fact, Chris believed he didn’t have a chance because he kind of bombed the audition.
When Liam got his opportunity, Chris admitted he was a bit jealous, but he was excited for him since he thought he was out of the running. Ultimately, the studio felt that Liam was good but a bit young, so they brought his older brother back, and Chris ended up doing well enough to land the part. Liam has yet to pop up in a Thor film, but their other brother Luke played a fake Thor in a play in Thor: Ragnarok, and Chris’ daughter portrays Love in Thor: Love and Thunder, so maybe Liam will join one day.
One of the biggest actors in Hollywood these days is Alan Ritchson. He’s most famous for leading the Reacher TV series, yet has also been strong in movies like The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and Fast X. His breakout likely would’ve come a lot sooner had he landed the role of Thor. At the time, he had already played a superhero, Aquaman, in a few episodes of Smallville, but didn’t have much to his name otherwise.
When discussing the opportunity, Ritchson still seems like he has some regrets about the process. According to him, he didn’t take it seriously enough and was more concerned with looking the part than the acting side of things. Ritchson used this to fuel his future, working tirelessly with an acting coach to improve. It took a while before he became a big name, yet the hard work paid off as he’s a star now. Ritchson is reportedly in talks to join DC as Batman.
The actor who nearly played Thor and then almost joined the MCU at a later date is Daniel Craig. It might be surprising because he was firmly locked in as James Bond when Thor was in the casting process, yet the actor came close. In fact, Craig was actually offered the role of Thor, yet he politely declined due to his commitment to the Bond franchise. It would’ve been incredibly difficult to pull off both characters given how often he’d have to portray each.
Daniel Craig was set to join the MCU for a cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Like John Krasinski as Mister Fantastic, he’d have appeared in an alternate universe as part of the Illuminati. He was slated to play Balder the Brave, who is Thor’s half-brother, which would’ve been a fun way to tie it into him nearly playing Thor in the first place. Alas, Craig decided against the appearance, as he didn’t think it was worth the risk of getting COVID-19 for a single day of shooting.
