Marvel’s Thor is Chris Hemsworth

chris-hemsworth-thor

Courtesy of a Nikki Finke exclusive, it seems Marvel has its Thor. Just days after Kenneth Branagh talked about Thor casting delays, the word is Chris Hemsworth will wield the mighty Mjolnir. That’s right, Captain Kirk’s dad in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot is now Marvel’s God of Thunder.

Hemsworth has had a whirlwind of a month: he was captain of a starship for 12 minutes just last week, cast as the lead in Red Dawn on Thursday, and the 25-year-old Aussie was doing an Australian TV series just last November. After 171 episodes of being “Kim Hyde” on Home and Away, he’s getting his big break with Thor - but it took two reads for him to be chosen as Odin’s son.

Finke reports Hemsworth had read for the part before but “wasn’t given a test because a casting director had nixed him early on.” Apparently his younger brother tested for the role too, but Marvel passed. William Ward, Hemsworth’s rep and partner/founder at ROAR Management, then convinced Marvel’s executive Kevin Feige to reconsider. They let Hemsworth read again and it sure sounded like director Kenneth Branagh had a choice in mind 3 days ago, but the final decision was made today.

With Asgard as the stage, Hemsworth better brush up on his Olde English and bulk-up his body, because Thor’s winged helmet isn’t anything like that feather-weight uniform handed out by the United Federation. Marvel bringing Branagh on to helm Thor was pretty ballsy, but casting a relative-unknown to be the Norse God? Marvel might have hit it’s 2011 blockbuster hat trick.

Thor is scheduled to begin production next January with a May 20, 2011 release.

The announcement of Chris Hemsworth puts to rest months and months of speculation about who would play Thor. Do you think Hemsworth can handle the magic hammer?

Source: Nikki Finke

Tags: thor

Matt K

I think he can handle the role.

SGT

WOW THIS GUY BETTER GET ON A CYCLE OR SOMETHING WHEN YOU THINK OF THORE YOU THINK OF A GOD, HURCULES LIKE FRAM AT LEAST 250LB AND THIS DUDE JUST DOSEN'T HAVE IT RIGHT NOW, GOING TO BE BIG SHOES TO FILL SUPER HEROS ARE SUPPOSE TO BE BIG AND POWERFUL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SUPERMAN! THEY SHOULD LET ME DO THE CASTING.

Iron Knight

OMG, how is this possible? Is it really true? 'Cause I thought they said they would announce it like in June, and suddenly this came out of nowhere.
But then, again, this is ScreenRant so I guess it is true (always trustworthy info here). Anyways, I was hoping to hear the name of Alex Skarsgard, but judging from the pic, this new guy can fit the role (maybe). As for being a relative unknown, well most of the competitors were not that famous, and consider Hugh Jackman was not really famous before X-Men...
I hope more official casting news come soon, maybe a Loki one?

Ken J

He has the face for it, he has time to bulk up if need be. How tall is he?

T.

I read he's six foot three. Unsure about this choice; he doesn't look rugged enough to me. I think they should of went older, someone between the ages of 32-37. He should look like someone with countless centuries experience of fighting wars and powerful personalities.

vid

I think Sorbo in his prime could've pulled Thor off.

this guy...i guess we'll find out. The swedish actor to me seemed like a better choice.

Ed (Marvel Movies)

Solid choice. Unknown is good so they can sign him up easier and cheaper to a multi-pic deal. He's a hot item in Hollywood, yet he isn't a celbrity ego. I want a Thor movie not a Brad Pitt movie you know. He is 6' 3" tall and has a deep voice and a solid foundation to build on. He can bulk up enough. He's also young enough to play the role for years and years.

RastaZen

I thought this guy was terrific as Papa Kirk.

He's got the right look to play Thor and no doubt the studio will set him up with a top notch personal trainer to bulk him up.

I'm onboard with Branagh at the wheel , I'm really looking forward to this one .

RastaZen

I took another look at the Thor pic up there ...

I wonder what Thor is listening to on his iPod ?
Wagner ? Beethoven ? Bjork
( I know Bjork is from Iceland but I just don't get many chances to type Bjork ... so ... you know ...... carpe diem and all that ).

Phil

If Vic is a diehard Iron man fan, I'm a diehard Thor fan. Unfortunately I'm lukewarm to this choice, I'd have liked to be more excited... he just doesn't seem "godly" enough. I guess he's going to go through a rigorous work-out regimen, although I have to wonder if they're actually using him for Don Blake as well?

Because he definitely has the right look for Don Blake, but not Thor... but I don't know how he could pull off both.

Iron Knight

Well, this is still better than casting some wrestler guy. Let's consider that casting Thor must had been not easy at all.

cat

haven't seen him in much so I couldn't tell you if this is a good or bad move. in star trek he was okay but he was only in it for 10 minutes.

Kane

Honestly... anyone who believes an actor with a "godlike" build would work in a film translation needs to take a look back at the late '80s, when we got such gems as 'Masters of the Universe'.

Better to have someone suited to play Donald Blake and have him buff up slightly... than some Swedish beefcake who no one in the broader movie-going public will take seriously.

Kane

PS: I love this choice! I'd wanted Kevin McKidd... but this is an even better, left-field choice. I noticed him in 'Star Trek' and thought he seemed like a guy to watch (and reckon he'd have made a better Kirk than Chris Pine, to be honest... but that's just me).

Ken J

I would have loved to see McKidd just because he's Lucious Vorenus... :-D

Gary

Solid choice .
I loved him as George Kirk.

Xigbar

I dunno, I'm not 100% on it, but I think it COULD work.

Gary

Imdb has Red Dawn coming out on september 24 2010.
will that conflict with Hemsworths work on Thor?
Sounds like he could be doing both at the same time .

Michael Claymore

Never heard of him, but unless he is at least 6'2", and can put on 40 pounds of muscle by the time the cameras roll this is going to be really, really stoopid.

arrell

Hmm, I'm not totally satisfied, but I'm also not appalled.

Phil

I still think they cast him with Don Blake mostly in mind...

I didn't really want a wrestler for the role, but don't generalize by saying somebody with a godly build can't make it in the biz... there are probably big guys out there that can act and could have been able to do the role just fine. I don't know why they didn't like Alexander SkarsgÃ¥rd, he looked absolutely perfect for the role.

Oh well...

Ken J

Skarsgard probably didn't have the "squared off" enough face for the role, or maybe it was the voice. Not anything against Skarsgard's voice, but this guy has a really strong voice and has the whole square chin and protruding eyebrow thing going for him...

I'm thinking it was the face and voice that won him the role.

Carl Lee

Yeah, the guy is 6'3" and apparently very popular in Australia.

Now that I've had some time to digest the news and talk it over with some people, I think casting an unknown is better off. I want to go into this movie (that is set in Asgard) without any preconceived notions, just the facts: Thor is the Norse god of Thunder.

That's it... and Marvel has done little wrong to this point. :P

dave man

i actually wanted him to be captain america. oh well.....

dave man

i thought he did a good job as George Kirk.

Oscar!

perfect casting, hes a really good actor and wont demand that much money, which Marvel could use towards special effects for the Avengers film :)

Adrian

Great pick! Funny, thought that as I was watching Star Trek. Chris Pine would make for a nice Captian America. Alexander SkarsgÃ¥rd, he looked absolutely perfect for the role and was my favorite choice build wise, but was not sure he could carry a mega film like 'Thor'. IMHO, Believe Marvel has done it again and will shock the fanboys with this pick for the lead like RDJ as Ironman and Edward Norton as Hulk. Hemsworth would be perfect for the film's budget and future film's like the Avengers. Not to mention Heath Ledger as the Joker was hated by the majority of fanboys and look at the amazing job he did. Also look at what Australia has produced with male unknown acting talent to the United States: Mel Gibson, Hugh Jackman, Heath Ledger, this year's Sam Worthington, and possibly Chris Hemsworth being the next.

Kane

Phil... Not saying someone like that can't make it in the biz. Saying someone with the appearance of a beefcake will be assumed by most to BE a beefcake... and I don't think that's what Marvel want for a film meant to co-exist with Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk.