Imagine that Thor is almost played by someone else; we hate the idea, don’t you? The story behind how Chris Hemsworth nearly lost out on the role is a wild mix of nerves, family rivalry, and a bit of fate. In 2009, Chris was still mostly an Aussie TV guy with a minor mall role. So when the role of Thor popped up, he thought, “This is it. I’m built for this.” He saw the casting breakdown that listed “Must be over 6’3″ and 200 pounds” and thought, “Well, this one fits.” Confident, he gave it his all in the audition with Kenneth Branagh… and then… nothing. No call. No feedback. Nada.
Enter Liam. While Chris waited for the phone to ring, his younger brother threw in his audition. And boom—Liam was on the radar, making it to the final shortlist for Thor. Meanwhile, Chris was over in Vancouver filming Cabin in the Woods and hearing all about it from his buddies Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, who said, “Wait, why aren’t you in the running? With no hope, Chris said, “I don’t know. I guess I blew it.” Classic.
Chris could have been happier. As he worked on Cabin in the Woods with Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, they looked at the Thor contenders and, in disbelief, asked him, “Why aren’t you in the mix here? What happened?” He admitted, “I don’t know. I blew my audition, I guess.” The pressure was on, and it seemed like his brother would steal the thunder (pun intended).
But then, in an unexpected twist, the casting directors weren’t thrilled with the other candidates. That’s when Chris’s manager pulled a move that would change his life forever. “My manager then called and said, ‘You know, he’s got an older brother. Can we bring him back in?’” Chris went for a second audition in Vancouver with serious motivation. “I came in with a little, I guess, motivation and maybe frustration that my little brother had gotten further than me. A little family, sibling rivalry sort of kicked up in me.” And boom, it worked.
A few weeks later, it was official: Chris Hemsworth would play Thor. The role would turn his career around, landing him four Thor films and four Avengers movies. On the other hand, Liam would find his own success as Gale in The Hunger Games and later take over the role of Geralt in The Witcher series.
Despite the sibling rivalry, the Hemsworth brothers have done well for themselves. Chris continues to rock the superhero universe while Liam has carved out his path. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone else wielding Mjolnir except for Chris—though, it’s safe to say that Liam would’ve looked mighty good doing it, too.
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