Although fans know him as the tactical hero on Reacher, Alan Ritchson came close to playing one of the biggest Marvel heroes yet – if he hadn’t made one crucial mistake.
Since playingJack Reacher, Alan Ritchson has become a real hero of the small screen. Known as the brutish and tactical ex-military Police Officer, Ritchson managed to bring new life to the famous character with theAmazon Prime Videoseries.
He’s also appeared on other shows. With the likes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Black Mirror, andBlue Mountain Stateunder his belt, Ritchson has become a major commodity in the TV world.
But while he’s dominated as the lead of the “Dad TV” series, he could have had a shot at a very different demographic: Marvel fans. That is, of course, if he hadn’t made one critical error.
Reacher star Alan Ritchson lost out on playing Thor
In an interview withMen’s Health, Ritchson revealed that he’d auditioned to play the role of Thor in the MCU, but had flubbed the audition by not trying hard enough.
“I didn’t take it seriously,” Ritchson said. “I was like, ‘They’ll throw me the part if I look like the guy; nobody really cares about acting.'”
Of course, this ended up being the wrong move entirely. After being told that he didn’t have “the craft” required for the role, the God of Thunder role ended up going to Chris Hemsworth. Naturally, Hemsworth became a staple of the ever-growing MCU.
The feedback obviously stuck with Ritchson, who quickly started sessions with an acting coach after the failed audition. He then joined an acting class run by Deborah Aquila, casting director of The Shawshank Redemption, and now Vice President of Casting at Paramount Television Studios.
Jessica Cullen is a TV and Movies Writer on Dexerto’s UK team. She’s previously written for The Digital Fix, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29, Slate and more. Aside from being the residential Yellowstone expert, she also loves Westerns, ’90s action movies, and true crime. You can email her here: jessica.cullen@dexerto.com.
