Originally published February 29, 2024. Updated March 1, 2024.
Alan Ritchson may be one of the hot action actors working today, but his career could’ve been much different if he landed one significant role.
Speaking to Men’s Health recently, Ritchson revealed he was in the running to play Thor in the character’s 2011 Marvel Studios debut. It seems like the actor, then best known for a handful of guest appearances as Aquaman in Smallville, didn’t take it quite so seriously.
He tells the publication, “I was like, ‘They’ll throw me the part if I look like the guy; nobody really cares about acting.'” He notes that the casting people said it was “his role to lose,” but he hadn’t shown that he had ‘the craft’ at that point.
The Thor role would of course go to Chris Hemsworth, who has since played the role in four solo films and several appearances in the Avengers films.
As for Ritchson, he’d find his next superhero role in Titans, playing one-half of the duo Hawk & Dove. Rumors have swirled that he’s set for a position in James Gunn’s DC Universe, with talks of possibly playing Batman. Ironically though, the actor also auditioned for Dick Grayson in Titans, an iconic Batman-related role.
Ritchson can currently been seen in Amazon’s hit series Reacher, which is now in production on its third season.
