Hollywood’s shared universes are notorious when it comes to multi-picture deals, so it’s small wonder why many of their key players think twice before signing along the dotted line. And Chris Hemsworth is no different.
The God of Thunder has cemented his place as one of the MCU’s bona fide cornerstones since 2011, appearing in three solo movies and a handful of Earth-shaking crossovers (see: Avengers: Infinity War). But when the opportunity was first presented to Hemsworth all those years ago, and his manager informed him of Marvel’s six-picture deal, the Aussie actor conceded to The Sydney Morning Herald (via Screen Rant) that he almost let the chance go begging.
Currently in the midst of Thor: Ragnarok‘s press circuit, Chris Hemsworth recalled his manager’s advice, who initially believed that a six-picture deal would be too restricting – something that other stars, including Chris Evans, have voiced in the past.
I was crossing the road in Vancouver … and I remember the exact moment getting a call from my lawyer and my manager saying ‘You got the offer.’ And then kind of going ‘Oh wow, cool. So what is it?’ ‘It’s a superhero thing and it’s a six-picture deal.’ And we were like ‘that’s a lot of films to sign up for. We should pass on this.’
Hemsworth went on to clarify that uncertainty, and chalked it up to “that voice inside you thinking it’s too good to be true.” Of course, this isn’t the first time that the Phase One Avenger has reflected on his entry point into the MCU, after revealing that he almost lost Thor to his younger brother, Liam Hemsworth. Talk about sibling rivalry.
Hailed as a welcome return to form for Marvel’s God of Thunder, Ragnarok is currently riding a wave of goodwill all the way to its release on November 3rd. And remember, it’ll come packing two post-credits scenes, so be sure to stay in your seat.