Considering Marvel’s seemingly perfect casting choices and the stars’ uncanny ability to pretty much become their MCU characters, it’s very hard to picture any one else as our favorite superheroes. However, we almost did have a different God of Thunder, as Thor: Love and Thunder star Chris Hemsworth was almost passed over to play the fan-favorite hero. I can’t even begin to imagine what that alternate reality would look like, and the reason why it almost came to pass is actually pretty silly.
Although Thor propelled Chris Hemsworth to greater heights career-wise, he was working in the entertainment industry before he landed the role of Marvel's norse god. He'd had small parts in movies and appeared in some TV shows native to his home of Australia. Hemsworth even had a stint on Dancing With The Stars, and, according to franchise staple Derek Hough, this is nearly cost him his Marvel role. Hough explained to Pop Culture:
Chris Hemsworth almost lost his role as Thor because he was on Dancing With the Stars in Australia. He was on Dancing With the Stars in Australia, and he's dancing the samba and they literally cast him — or they were gonna cast him — and I think people called and said, 'Yo have you seen him dancing the Samba? This cannot be our Thor.'
Apparently, the Marvel bosses have something against a man dancing the samba. I honestly can’t imagine a worse reason not to cast someone for a literal god, because you just know a pretty much all powerful and righteous beings of Asgard have got to know a move or two. To me, it actually seems like more of a reason to cast Chris Hemsworth It just looks like his training for the role started a little early. Plus, we know he’s got the fancy footwork down.
Still, it would seem that Chris Hemsworth’s time on the dancing reality show went without a lot of people noticing, because the company was not aware of his participation until the higher ups googled his name and saw his sweet samba moves, right before making the call. This is probably because the Australian actor was on the version of the show for his home country, which was likely far enough off the radar for Americans.
I find it pretty interesting that this was almost a deal-breaker for such an amazing casting choice, because Marvel doesn’t exactly take itself super seriously. Even back when Chris Hemsworth was first cast, the MCU was a pretty humorous place with Robert Downey Jr. slinging one snarky joke after another as Iron Man. Of course, now the MCU is openly silly, with Thor even sporting a beer belly in Endgame. I really don’t think anyone really minds the dancing thing, especially since Hemsworth is still going strong as Thor.
The idea of anyone else playing Thor is honestly pretty heartbreaking, but it's great that the people of Marvel ultimately decided to bring him on for the role. Maybe the always-funny director Taika Waititi will find a way to utilize Chris Hemsworth's moves in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder. We'll find out when the film makes its way to theaters on May 6, 2022.
