Reacher star Alan Ritchson has revealed he once auditioned to play Thor in the MCU but ultimately lost out on the part because he didn't take it "seriously" enough.
In a new interview with Men's Health, Ritchson said he had heard through the grapevine that the role of the hammer-wielding god in the 2011 film Thor was his to lose, but admits he relied too heavily on his physical appearance to win the part and failed to show his "craft," which led to Chris Hemsworth stealing his thunder.
"I didn't take it seriously," Ritchson said of his Thor audition. "I was like, 'They'll throw me the part if I look like the guy; nobody really cares about acting.'"
Ritchson wasn't the only actor to miss out on a role in Thor. Chris Pratt revealed last year that he auditioned to be "one of the sidekick guys" to Hemsworth's Mjölnir-wielding Norse god, but, like several other of his Marvel auditions, he didn't get a callback, and it almost made him give up on the MCU altogether.
Pratt, of course, went on to don Peter Quill's (aka Star-Lord's) red-eyed helmet in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, while Ritchson set about working with an acting coach to hone his craft. He secured several small roles on shows such as Black Mirror, New Girl, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as well as a recurring role in DC's Titans.
Ritchson gained wider recognition in the years after, playing the title character in Prime Video's Reacher, which is currently filming its third season. He pegs it as his breakthrough role, admitting that he had about "50 offers the weekend after Season 1 of Reacher opened" in 2022, and it was then he knew his "life had changed."
Filmmaker and renowned comic book fan Kevin Smith recently referred to Ritchson's version of Reacher as "Batman without a cape," spurring on rumors that he could play the DCU's new Batman. Ritchson said he would "love" to play the caped crusader since the role is up for the taking after Matt Reeves ruled Robert Pattinson out.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter @AdeleAnkers.
