Chris Hemsworth is currently one of the biggest stars in all of Hollywood and has built up a solid filmography over the years. Among Hemsworth’s best movies are The Cabin in the Woods, Bad Times at the El Royale and Rush. Of course, all of his success can be chalked up to his role as Thor Odinson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His career was never the same after he was tapped to play the Mighty Avenger in 2009, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing him but Hemsworth. However, there was a time at which another member of the Australian family was up for the part. Hemsworth’s younger brother, Liam, could’ve landed the role, and there’s an interesting story behind how Chris nearly lost the part to him.
It’s honestly understandable as to why Marvel Studios and Disney would’ve had interest in tapping Liam Hemsworth to play the God of Thunder. His physicality alone would make him an optimal choice. Yet it’s really not hard to see why Chris, who’s had to stay superhero-ripped for years, was chosen. So how exactly did the future Extraction franchise lead manage to get the part over his sibling? Let’s discuss that now.
What Went Down When Chris Hemsworth Learned About The Role Of Thor And Auditioned?
Those who’ve watched the Marvel movies in order likely know that Kenneth Branagh’s Thor is one of the earliest titles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Pre-production on the 2011 superhero film began in 2009, which is when the cast was assembled. The Disney-owned studio reportedly looked at a number of actors for the titular role, including Tom Hiddleston. (He’d, of course, go on to play the lead character’s adopted brother, Loki, and become a fan favorite for his performance.)
Chris Hemsworth had mostly starred in Australian productions by the time the major role got on his radar. The biggest American film he’d done by that time was J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, in which he’d played the role of Captain Kirk’s father. Even though Hemsworth hadn’t done much within the realm of big-screen blockbusters, he did feel like he could be a fit for the Marvel role. As the actor recalled to W Magazine in 2017, he got that idea after seeing the description of the character:
I remembered reading the breakdown for Thor and it said, ‘Must be over 6’3″ and 200 pounds,’ and so on. I thought, ‘Oh cool. This is the one thing that sort of fits me.’ Most of the time, I’d have to lie about my height and say I was a little shorter and so on. I’d only get cast or auditioned for the football player or something. So I thought, ‘Great. This is up my alley.’ I came into the audition with Kenneth Branagh and thought I nailed it and then never heard anything back.
On paper, the Ca$h star seemed like the perfect fit for the part, given his physique, and he was also a fresh face. However, he didn’t quite have it in the bag – and that’s where his baby brother came into the picture.
How Did Liam Hemsworth Get Involved In The Casting Process For The Marvel Movie?
Waiting is a massive part of being an actor, as it can take a studio some time to make a casting decision, especially when it comes to a role for a high-profile production. It apparently took a while before Chris Hemsworth heard anything after the audition. During that time, he didn’t remain idle, though, as he filmed The Cabin in the Woods. Simultaneously, Liam Hemsworth found his way into the audition process for Thor. Chris explained to W Magazine how Liam jumped into the mix. He also revealed the honest feedback he received from his Cabin collaborators after they learned he’d auditioned for the role of the Asgardian:
Months went by and then my brother, my little brother, Liam, was in Australia and sent a tape across and he got a call back, then another call back and then was down to the last kind of four or five people for it. I remember sitting in Vancouver, shooting Cabin in the Woods with Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon. Both of them were looking at the trades at this sort of top five guys for Thor and saying, ‘Why aren’t you in the mix here? What happened?’ I said, ‘I don’t know. I blew my audition I guess.’
The situation was starting to look somewhat grim for the actor, with Liam Hemsworth seemingly having a solid shot at landing the part. However, the casting directors ultimately weren’t pleased with the roster of stars they’d landed on. And in a surprising turn of events, they turned their attention back to Chris – in great part because of Liam:
None of those guys got it. My manager then called up and said, ‘You know, he’s got an older brother. Can we bring him back in?’ So I did an audition in Vancouver in this hotel room with my mum reading Anthony Hopkins’ part. She must have nailed it because it got me back in the room and that second audition was a lot different than my first one. I came in kind of with a little, I guess, motivation and maybe frustration that my little brother had gotten further than me. It’s a little family, sibling rivalry sort of kicked up in me. Then it moved pretty quick from there. It was cool.
And as they say, the rest is history. It was officially reported in May 2009 that Chris Hemsworth would officially play Thor. It would be a gross understatement to say that his career would never be the same. As for Liam, he’d find some successes of his own.
How Have Chris And Liam Hemsworth’s Careers Changed Since They Both Auditioned For Thor?
Thanks to his role as Odinson, Chris Hemsworth has headlined four Thor movies, as of this writing and starred in four Avengers films. So he’s appeared in a solid number of Marvel films (which we’ve ranked). Of course, Hemsworth has other franchise films under his belt, which have achieved varying degrees of success. When it comes to his superhero role, the actor is currently unsure whether he’ll play the part again. He is, however, open to reprising the role but will only sign on if he gets the chance to reinvent the character again.
Liam Hemsworth may have lost out on his chance to play the prince of Asgard in the MCU, but he later joined another major franchise – The Hunger Games. He played the role of Gale Hawthorne in four films. The Expendables 2, Empire State, Cut Bank and Killerman are a few of the movies he’s starred in since 2012 as well. His biggest role may be yet to come, though, as it was revealed in October 2022 that Hemsworth would replace Henry Cavill in the role of Geralt at the start of the fourth season of Netflix’s The Witcher.
Overall, one can definitely say that the Hemsworth brothers have done well for themselves. The two still seem to have that friendly, competitive nature, which extends to their oldest brother, Luke, as well. However, the two younger siblings didn’t seem to be at odds regarding who did and who didn’t land the role of Thor. On that note, you can check out Chris’ performances in the role by streaming his MCU films using a Disney+ subscription.