It’s long since gone down in Marvel Cinematic Universe folklore that Tom Hiddleston initially met with Kenneth Branagh to discuss playing the title role in Thor, with his blonde-haired and American-accented audition video having gone viral several times over in the decade since.
It’s absolutely impossible to imagine Hiddleston as the God of Thunder, and not just because of how perfectly suited he was to playing Loki. It wouldn’t be harsh to suggest that the hulking Chris Hemsworth has probably eaten meals more substantial than his wiry onscreen brother, but it’s also fair to say that the Asgardian trickster has become every bit as popular as Thor, especially after his acclaimed streaming series.
In the latest installment of Disney Plus web series Untold, Hiddleston explained how he knew he wasn’t cut out for the title hero when it came time to test his physical capabilities during the audition process.
“There was at one point in the training, there was a board, I think in the stunt gym, there was like a thing of 1,000 meters on the rowing machine, 100 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, and 100 squats, and doing it for time. And Chris Hemsworth would put his time on the board. And I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll give that a go’. I didn’t get past 15 pull-ups, so that’s the reason he was cast as Thor.”
Hiddleston and Hemsworth as Loki and Thor has worked out brilliantly for the MCU in the long run; not only are the two Phase One stalwarts still integral parts of the mythology, but they comfortably rank among fans as a pair of the franchise’s favorite recurring figures. Both stars built their entire mainstream careers on the back of their debut performances, and it’s evident that Hiddleston has no regrets whatsoever.
