“That was the response I got”: Before Replacing Henry Cavill In The Witcher Liam Hemsworth Almost Got Chris Hemsworth’s Iconic Marvel Role
Hollywood casting stories are fun. Only when a celebrity reveals how they almost did not get what would eventually become their most successful role, does one realize the power of fate in the entertainment industry.
One such twist of fate happened with Liam Hemsworth. Known for his roles in The Hunger Games series, Hemsworth was once a strong contender for one iconic Marvel role which later went to his brother, Chris Hemsworth. Here’s how the events unfolded.
Liam Hemsworth Outdid his Brother at Auditions for Thor
The Hemsworth brothers are now a household name in Hollywood, thanks to their immaculate looks and even better acting skills. Working for years in the industry and both as actors auditioning for the same roles, they have been each other’s competition in one way or another. One instance of significance is when Liam Hemsworth almost got the role that would later become a career-defining for his elder brother, Chris Hemsworth.
Before stepping in as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher, the Independence Day: Resurgence Liam Hemsworth was on the verge of wielding the Mjölnir. Revealed by the older Hemsworth himself, Liam Hemsworth was the front runner to getting the role of beloved Marvel superhero Thor and had made it to the “last five people” who were being considered for the role.
Chris Hemsworth on the other had not done so well. His performance at the auditions was inept. As he recalled in the Wired Autocomplete Interview (via People):
“I think my audition sucked. I think that was the response I got.”
Chris Hemsworth not being the perfect fit for playing the Norse God is a bit hard to digest. Especially when he was so impeccable in the role. How exactly did that come to be?
Why didn’t Liam Hemsworth Play Thor?
Knowing that Chris Hemsworth was not only nowhere near close to playing The God of Thunder, but almost lost the part to his little brother raises the obvious question. What prevented Liam Hemsworth from getting the role if he was so good at it? And Chris Hemsworth revealed what actually went down (via People):
“They were like, ‘Look, he’s great, but he’s a bit young.’ My manager then said, ‘Well, he does have an older brother,’ which was me. I came back in, re-auditioned a few times.”
Apparently, it was his age. Being older brought Hemsworth the opportunity of a lifetime.
Almost losing the role to his baby brother kicked in the competitive spirit in Hemsworth and he did his best (via People):
Maybe I had a little more sort of motivation that my little brother got a look in and I hadn’t. I also had done a couple of films in between those two auditions, so I had a bit more experience and confidence in what I was going to do.”
Apart from a natural flair for acting and a bit of that older sibling spite, confidence, and a positive attitude proved to be a real game changer for Hemsworth.
Source: People
