We already know they’ve gotten "too old for this shit." Could they next be getting "too Thor for this shit?"
The current rumor burning up the Internet is that Thor sensation Chris Hemsworth has been offered the lead role in a planned reboot (or sort of extension) of the Lethal Weapon franchise. The Tracking Board runs the story, which I’d advise you to take with a tremendous dose of skeptic salt, saying that Hemsworth could play the son of an older cop – possibly Mel Gibson’s Martin Riggs – who decides that he wants to join the police force. The idea leaves the door open for Gibson to possibly cameo, playing Riggs once again, but more as a traditional father figure to Hemsworth’s full-on action hero.
In a way, it makes sense. Riggs and Lorna Cole (Rene Russo) had a baby at the end of Richard Donner’s Lethal Weapon 4:
That sequel took place nearly 20 years ago, so Riggs could be having a son who is ready to join the force and follow in his father’s footsteps. This isn’t the Martin Riggs that we know and love, though. The son likely wouldn’t be a suicidal shell of a man searching for any way to get through the day (which was the lure of the original Lethal Weapon movie). But there are a few key factors in the Tracking Board story that pique our interest. One, Joel Silver reportedly is producing this installment. And the site claims that original Lethal Weapon screenwriter Shane Black had "input into what direction the sequel will take."
Here’s why the rumor’s probably bullshit. Chris Hemsworth doesn’t need to bother with a franchise like Lethal Weapon, given the fact that he’s in the Marvel fold as both Thor (which plans to shoot a third movie) and The Avengers, which is filming a second movie. Justin Lin reportedly is attached to direct this rumored Lethal Weapon movie, but he also has a Bourne movie on his radar.
Then again, Hemsworth is an Aussie, and the idea of working with a legend like Mel Gibson on the franchise that turned him into a global sensation might be too tempting on which to pass. Right now, this sounds bogus. There are too many reasons to leave the Lethal Weapon franchise alone. But given the fact that Hollywood likes to reboot everything from RoboCop to Beverly Hills Cop, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a new Lethal Weapon movie in theaters in the next few years.
