Why Chris Hemsworth Almost Said No To Playing Thor For Marvel

thor: ragnarok

Chris Hemsworth is about to star in his third Thor movie with Marvel, and by now we know a lot about the actor's experiences with the famed comic-turned-movie company. We know, for instance, that Chris Hemsworth managed to snag a second audition for the role of Thor, thereby beating out his famous brother Liam Hemsworth for the gig. We also know that Hemsworth thought he was being fired after he wasn't asked to take part in Captain America: Civil War. However, this weekend the actor threw another story out there, revealing that after all that work he did to land a second audition, he still almost said no to the plum Marvel gig. In a recent interview he explained exactly what happened, noting,

I was crossing the road in Vancouver ... and I remember the exact moment getting a call from from my lawyer and my manager saying 'You got the offer.' And then kind of going 'Oh wow, cool. So what is it?' 'It's a superhero thing and it's a six-picture deal.' And we were like 'that's a lot of films to sign up for. We should pass on this.'

While promoting the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok, Chris Hemsworth stated that after he did a lot of work to get offered the Marvel part, he found out it wasn't going to be a one-off. In fact, he found out that if he wanted to take the gig, he'd have to agree to six pictures upfront, which is a lot for an up-and-coming actor trying to figure out what sort of roles they want to take on. Hemsworth told the Sydney Morning Herald that he was pumped he landed the role, but felt like it may have stalled his career.

Ultimately, he said yes to the Marvel gig, and while the role has kept him busy through three Thor films and several movies starring the Avengers, he has managed to take on a few other big movie jobs. Among those are the Ghostbusters reboot, In The Heart of the Sea, The Huntsman, Red Dawn and Rush. So, getting a big payday with Marvel and the name recognition that comes with playing a Marvel character, plus getting to take on some side roles hasn't been such a bad deal. In fact, it kind of sounds like having your cake and eating it, too.

As for that previous story about Chris Hemsworth and his original Thor audition, the actor said he was shooting Cabin in the Woods and those involved with that film, including Joss Whedon, were surprised his name wasn't being bandied about after the first round of interviews. His manager called again and asked the casting people for Marvel to take a second look at Chris alongside his brother. After all that work to get back in on the auditioning process, it's a little surprising to hear he may have been considering saying no. It's also hard to imagine anyone else in the role at this point--even Liam Hemsworth.

Luckily, we don't have to. Thor: Ragnarok hits theaters on November 3, and if you are already jazzed for the movie, you can pre-order tickets, now. Or take a look at what we know about the upcoming film.

Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.