Thanks to the growing popularity of his Amazon Prime Video action thriller series “Reacher,” based on the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child, Alan Ritchson’s is starting to really take off. It’s only been on for two seasons but seemingly taken off in the last year and is quickly turning the 6 ft 2 actor into a star.
Before that, he had smaller roles with appearances in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” (2013) and “Fast X” (2023). But way before that, in the late 2000s, the actor was apparently up for the role of Marvel’s “Thor” and, according to his agents, was considered one of the top choices because of his already big Norse God size.
READ MORE: ‘Fast X’: Alan Ritchson Says Keanu Reeves Was Originally Supposed To Star In New Film
In a new Men’s Health profile, Ritchson reveals that he auditioned for “Thor,” the role that eventually went to Chris Hemsworth, but was bummed about it in retrospect because he didn’t put the work into the role.
“I didn’t take it seriously,” he said. “I was like, ‘They’ll throw me the part if I look like the guy; nobody really cares about acting.’”
According to Men’s Health, “after the audition, the casting cabal told his team the role had been his to lose, but he hadn’t shown that he had “the craft.” Chris Hemsworth would be Thor, and Ritchson would simmer for another decade.”
Clearly, landing “Thor” would have changed Ritchson’s career a decade earlier, but perhaps this is a cautionary tale for those who audition for Marvel roles but don’t think showing chops is needed. It would also be a little depressing to know that Marvel’s casting team had ideally thought the role would be his, but he lost it regardless.
To his credit, the actor took it all very seriously and apparently was “tormented” by the casting fumble. Even after losing the role, he practiced the scene with an acting coach for three weeks.
He also auditioned for WB’s superhero show “Titans” but lost that role too. “I was so confident. I was like, ‘This is the best damn audition I’ve ever had in my life. There’s no way they can do this show without me.’”
It would be rather heartbreaking to hear, but Ritchson’s clearly on the rise. Up next for the actor, he has one of the supporting roles in Guy Ritchie’s “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” alongside Henry Cavill. Presumably, from there, he can keep working, adding notches onto his belt to be taken more seriously than just a beefcake-y action star.
