Chris Hemsworth May Be The Next Major Name To Retire From Hollywood, If Reports Are True

Actor Chris Hemsworth is a wildly famous A-lister, whose starpower grew considerably thanks to his ongoing role as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In addition to being the first MCU hero to get a fourth solo movie, he’s also been keeping busy with other projects like Extraction and the Disney+ docuseries Limitless. And it sounds like the 39 year-old actor might be the next major name to retire from Hollywood. At least, if the latest reports are true. 

While it’s a dream for many to become a famous movie star, it’s not a career that some people can/want to stay in forever. Moviegoers have seen a few high profile retirements lately including Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz, and Bruce Willis– with the latter ending his career due to dementia issues. And per a new report by Page Six, the Thor actor might be considering an early retirement. Namely because he recently found out that he’s at very high risk for Alzheimer’s disease later in life.

Chris Hemsworth learned about this sobering possibility while filming Limitless. While he hasn’t actually been diagnosed with the degenerative brain disease, the tests revealed that it’s a distinct possibility for him once he gets older. And according to an unnamed source who spoke to Page Six, he might be taking on less acting projects as a result of this news. As they put it,

He doesn’t plan to take on many roles because of [learning about his high risk for] Alzheimer’s.

Given just how busy the Thor: Love And Thunder actor has been keeping lately, this news might turn a few heads. But perhaps the anonymous nature of its source means we should take this news with a grain of salt. Regardless, comic book fans will be thrilled to learn that he still reportedly intends to keep going on as the God of Thunder in the MCU. 

We’ll have to wait and see if anyone from Chris Hemsworth’s camp ends up confirming the actor’s rumored plans to pull back on acting. Aside from concerns about Alzheimer’s, it’s also possible that he’s just trying to spend more time at home with his family. There are plenty of reasons why the Cabin in the Woods actor might want to pump the breaks on his booming career. 

The possibility of the Thor actor retiring due to concerns about Alzheimer’s condition will likely remind many fans out there of Bruce Willis. The beloved Die Hard icon retired from acting suddenly due to being diagnosed with aphasia, and later frontotemporal dementia. The public has been watching as his family and loved ones rallied around him, including ex-wife Demi Moore. This is a much different situation than the one involving Hemsworth, but shows just how suddenly things can change given medical news.

Chris Hesmsworth’s Extraction 2 (which just released a new trailer) will hit Netflix on June 16th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.