Thor has always been one of Marvel’s most interesting titles. It has all the family drama of a Shakespearean tragedy, coupled with the ridiculousness that comes with comic books. When the company announced we would be visiting Asgard in its Marvel Cinematic Universe films, we instantly wondered what path the studio would take to adapt the stories. For 2011’s origin movie Thor, Marvel Studios leaned into the Shakespearean aspects and hired Kenneth Branagh to direct. Casting Australian actor Chris Hemsworth as Thor was a genius choice, as he’s somehow able to simultaneously be a powerful god and a regular friend we could hang out with.

In addition to introducing Thor, the movie brought in many of his famous comic book supporting characters like Loki, Jane Foster, and Odin. Before Hemsworth was chosen, producers saw many well-known leading men, even offering the role to a couple. This isn’t a knock on Hemsworth, as we can’t imagine anyone else in the part now, however, we’d be remiss if we didn’t discuss some of the other actors who were in contention to defend Asgard. As for his friends from work, there were interesting names on the short list for those roles as well. 

19 WORSE: TOM HIDDLESTON AS THOR

Ask any MCU fan who the best villain in the franchise is and they will instantly tell you it’s Loki. From the moment we met him in Thor, we knew there was more to him than the loyal brother and son. Tom Hiddleston perfectly lured us in with his mystical charm before hitting us with Loki’s real motives. Knowing Thor was unworthy, he longed to be king of Asgard. He was smarter than everyone else and willing to do whatever it took to win. To be honest, fans loved him more than Thor. It was no surprise when he returned as the major villain of The Avengers. He just became too good to kill.

As it turns out, we almost never got Hiddleston’s iconic portrayal of Loki, as he originally auditioned for Thor. He bulked up and dyed his hair blond, making it all the way to the final costume screen tests. However, producers decided he “just wasn’t Thor,” which we can understand. Hiddleston is spectacular in all his roles, but in the MCU we can’t imagine him as anything other than the God of Mischief. While he may have been disappointed, we have to admit we’re kind of happy he didn’t get the part he originally wanted.

18 BETTER: LIAM HEMSWORTH AS THOR

After seven movies it seems hard to see anyone else as Thor, but it turns out Chris wasn’t producers first choice of Hemsworth. Chris auditioned, but didn’t hear anything back. His brother Liam was also up for the role. It was while he was shooting Cabin in the Woods with Joss Whedon that they wondered why he wasn’t in the finals for the role. Eventually he got a second audition and obviously nailed it. He readily admits that he may have been working through some sibling rivalry the second time around.

“That second audition was a lot different than my first one. I came in kind of with a little, I guess, motivation and maybe frustration that my little brother had gotten further than me,” Hemsworth told W Magazine. “It's a little family, sibling rivalry sort of kicked up in me. Then it moved pretty quick from there.” We in no way think Liam would have been a bad Thor, but there’s a comedic quality to the character that Chris brings. It’s something we haven’t seen in any of Liam’s previous work in The Hunger Games and The Expendables 2. Plus, we know it’s only a matter of time before someone offers him another superhero role.

17 WORSE: MEL GIBSON AS ODIN

Mel Gibson’s controversial past has been well documented, so we don’t need to rehash it here. Following all his well publicized troubles, the business had pretty much turned its back on the former leading man. He says it was during this time that Marvel offered him the role of Odin, King of Asgard and Thor’s father. It seems hard to believe that a studio that was clearly gearing its franchise for families would have cast someone so radioactive. Even if we leave the other stuff out of it and just think about the acting and character, Gibson would have been a very weird choice to play the All-Father.

First of all, we can’t really buy him and Chris Hemsworth as father and son. Secondly, there’s a certain gravitas that Odin must have and no matter how hard he tries, Gibson will never have it. And third, he actually looks like he would be Loki’s biological father, not adopted father, which is an essential plot point. While it’s true Gibson is no stranger to action movies, this part would have required him to mostly sit back and give sage advice on everything happening around him. We can all agree that we got the better end of the deal with Sir Anthony Hopkins.

16 BETTER: KEVIN MCKIDD AS DONALD BLAKE

Like most superheroes, Thor has a secret identity and his is mild mannered doctor Donald Blake. The hero is cast out of Asgard and sent to Earth without his powers. Odin wants him to learn humility, so he puts him in the body of med student Donald Blake. Thor and Blake share the body and continue saving the world together. In the movie, Thor is thrown out of Asgard for being too impulsive and full of himself, however, he retains his memories and body. When he meets Jane, she gives him Earth clothes to wear that belonged to her ex, a doctor named Donald Blake. Selvig even uses the name to get him out of S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. They’re quick moments that provide one of Marvel’s fun easter eggs for fans.

Apparently, Blake was originally going to be an actual character in the movie and Grey’s Anatomy star Kevin McKidd was considered for the role. It’s anyone’s guess how they would have weaved Blake into the plot, but it would have been interesting to see how he and Thor interacted. Would he be a spy for Odin? Or perhaps he would have been the stereotypical jealous ex? Either way, it may have added an extra level of authenticity to a movie that does feel like it was missing something.

15 WORSE: CHARLIE COX AS LOKI

It’s not that we think Charlie Cox would be a bad Loki, it’s just that we can’t possibly imagine anyone other than Tom Hiddleston as Loki. Cox was among the final candidates for Loki before producers decided to offer potential Thor actor Hiddleston the role. Before Thor was released, Cox’s biggest roles were in the Moby Dick and the Casanova mini-series and the first episode of Downton Abbey. We have no doubt he would have made a great Loki, we’re just married to Tom Hiddleston now.

Of course, Cox did eventually make his way to the MCU as Matt Murdock in Netflix’s Daredevil series. He plays a blind lawyer, who uses his heightened other senses and ninja training to fight crime in Hell’s Kitchen. Daredevil kicked off the Netflix quartet of shows, so he’s basically that corner of the franchise’s  version of Iron Man. He’s also the leader of The Defenders when all the Netflix heroes team up to fight The Hand. While we may be curious about what his take on Loki would have been, it’s obvious that everything worked out for the best for everyone. Fingers crossed that Avengers 4 will feature the long awaited MCU movie and TV crossover, so we can see him and his friends work with The Avengers.

14 BETTER: EVA GREEN AS LADY DEATH

In the comics, Thanos comes up with his plan to kill half the universe to impress Lady Death because most bad ideas start from a guy trying to impress a girl. Maybe next time just send flowers, instead of destroying our lives. In the MCU, we all assumed that Cate Blanchett’s Hela was the big screen version of Lady Death, since she was the Goddess of Death. However, one of the many Infinity War rumors making the rounds says that Eva Green was actually up for the part of Lady Death. In the end, the movie had so many characters she wasn’t really needed.

As usual, Blanchett is spectacular as Hela, but with Thor: Ragnarok being so hilarious, she’s not particularly serious. Yes, she kills a lot of people, but there are also a lot of jokes. Green’s work in Penny Dreadful demonstrates her ability to play scary, haunting women you can’t look away from. If they decided to have both characters exist in the universe, we’re sure the writers and actresses would have made them two completely different people. As great as Infinity War was, we would have enjoyed seeing what Thanos’ true motivation was for killing half the universe, other than being a murderous psychopath.

13 WORSE: JIM CARREY AS LOKI

Following his breakout performances in The Mask and Ace Ventura, we’re not surprised that Jim Carrey was considered for Loki once upon a time. He made a career out of over the top, cartoon come to life characters. His acting style seemed tailor made for a comic book movie. Especially in the straight off the page films of the ‘90s. Apparently, Warner Bros. agreed, which is how he became The Riddler in Batman Forever.

Anyone who’s seen his Riddler and loves Loki knows that we all dodged a bullet. There is not a single second on-screen where he is not just turned up to 100 and chewing up all the scenery. There is absolutely no nuance to why he wants to kill Batman and become smarter than everyone else. Think about the subtle layers Tom Hiddleston brings to Loki and imagine Jim Carrey standing still and telling us a whole story with just one look. He would have never fit in with the world that the MCU has created. The actor returned to the comic book world in Kick-Ass 2, and while the film has a lot of problems, his performance can't really be labeled as "breakthrough". In the universe where Jim Carrey plays Loki, you just know he dies in Thor and is never heard from again.

12 BETTER: JESSICA BIEL AS LADY SIF

As the great female warrior of Asgard, Lady Sif fights alongside Thor and the Warriors Three. It’s never been officially confirmed, but she may be second only to Thor in terms of Asgard’s fighters. In the films she doesn’t get much time to shine, as she only appears in a few scenes, however her appearances on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., gave her a chance to really show her backstory and character. In the comics, she is a love interest for Thor, but they break up when he prefers to live on Earth instead of Asgard. Here, she is memorably played by Blindspot star Jaimie Alexander as a great friend with no romantic ties.

In the early pre-production days of Thor, Jessica Biel was the producer’s choice for Sif. We don’t know why she didn’t end up in the role, but it would have been interesting to see her take on Sif. Biel has made a career out of playing strong, female characters and has been in a few action movies, but perhaps her recognition would have overpowered what is essentially a small supporting role. Over the years, she’s been in the conversation for other superhero roles including Wonder Woman and Catwoman, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see her enter the genre eventually.

11 WORSE: CHARLIZE THERON AS HELA

Charlize Theron is no stranger to evil women with plans for world domination. She stole the show in Snow White and the Huntsman and turned Vin Diesel against his family in The Fate of the Furious. She’s also capably shown her action skills in Mad Max: Fury Road and Atomic Blonde. However, as good as she is, she’s no Cate Blanchett. Blanchett is the kind of actress who could act out the phone book and make it fascinating. In Thor: Ragnarok, she instantly takes over everything and becomes the star of the show.

No doubt Theron would have been pretty good as Hela, but it’s hard to beat the performance that Blanchett delivered. She made Hela an immediate threat, but she never felt like an over the top cartoon villain. There’s a clever balance she strikes that, other than Loki, none of the previous bad guys have been able to find. Though, she killed some our favorite characters and wanted to destroy Asgard, we still found ourselves understanding her side of the story and maybe rooting for her just a little. This is not a knock against Theron, but her villains do have a tendency to be somewhat one note, and we really enjoyed the many layers Blanchett brought to Hela.

10 BETTER: ALEXANDER SKARSGARD AS THOR

When it was announced that Thor would be part of Marvel’s new movie franchise, fans instantly began suggesting ideal candidates. Among the most requested names was True Blood star Alexander Skarsgard. As vampire sheriff Eric, he looked like he was based on the comic book hero. The similarities weren’t just about looks, he also spent a lot of time fighting and showing off his comedy skills. A show like True Blood doesn’t always allow actors to display the full range of their abilities, but Skarsgard stood out as Eric went from bad guy to heroic love interest and back to sometimes bad guy.

Skarsgard was one of the final candidates for Thor and Captain America, which means Marvel was serious about wanting to work with him. The actor did eventually get his hero role as Tarzan and though he seemed perfectly cast, the movie didn’t do that well. He has a less slapstick style of comedy than Chris Hemsworth so we would have liked to see what he brought to the God of Thunder. Plus, it would have been fun to watch him work with his father Stellan Skarsgard, who plays Erik Selvig. With his award winning performance in Big Little Lies, Skarsgard will no doubt get even more leading man parts and possibly another shot at the superhero world.

9 WORSE: BRAD PITT AS THOR

Clearly, Brad Pitt is a great actor, who’s had several fantastic performances. Considering how long he’s been a leading man and heartthrob, it’s very weird that he’s never been a superhero. He’s also very adept at both action and comedy, so something like Thor would be perfect for him. He didn’t make it past the talking stage and that’s probably for the best. There’s something that happens with huge movie stars where there comes a point when they can’t really distance themselves from their superstar status. No one ever says, it’s Tom Cruise playing Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible. It’s just Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible.

The original Avengers consists of a nice mix of familiar faces and newcomers like Chris Hemsworth. If the team featured a cast of superstars and famous people it just wouldn’t have worked as well. What makes The Avengers work so well, is the build up to that moment when they finally assemble to fight the aliens. Viewers had to earn it. Audiences would have had difficulty separating the heroes from the actors playing them (think George Clooney in Batman & Robin). At this point in his career, superhero movie is about the only thing Brad Pitt hasn’t done, but with so many of them constantly hitting theaters, his time will come sooner rather later.

8 BETTER: BRIAN BLESSED AS VOLSTAGG

As one of the Warriors Three, Volstagg is one of Thor’s best friends and closest allies. He’s known for his equally endless appetite for food and war. Like the other Warriors Three, he doesn’t appear much in the movies. He mostly shows up for a quick one-liner, then punches several people. Ray Stevenson plays him in a suit and make up, bringing him to life in a fun way. As Thor was beginning production, there were rumors that British actor Brian Blessed was in the running for a role. The talk was that he was going to be either Odin or Volstagg. No one can compete with Anthony Hopkins as Odin, but it would have been great to see Blessed bring his signature boisterous style to Volstagg.

He first became known to nerds in the cult favorite Flash Gordon. From there he appeared in a streak of British series such as The Hound of Baskervilles, Hamlet, Macbeth and Doctor Who. Recently he’s developed a resume of as a voice actor in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return and, if you have a kid in your home, Peppa Pig. Nothing against Stevenson, but Volstagg is a bit forgettable, up until his very quick death in Ragnarok. Blessed may have been able to make more of an impact on the character and fans.

7 WORSE: CHARLIE HUNNAM AS THOR

Among the many young actors in the running to play Thor was Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam. His work on the FX motorcycle club drama put Hunnam on the short list for every major role in Hollywood for awhile. He definitely has the blond hair and warrior look required for Thor, and we know he can handle action, however we’ve never seen him do comedy -- a prerequisite for the character and the genre as a whole. Being in the middle of a world filled with people flying around in armor and costumes, you can’t take it too seriously. It’s the small, funny moments that keep fans from getting too bogged down in history and mythology.

Since the end of Sons of Anarchy, Hunnam has starred in Crimson Peak, The Lost City of Z and King Arthur. He’s also known for his role in Pacific Rim. While he always gives an interesting performance, there’s not a lot of comedy in his filmography. As finally seen in Ragnarok, Thor has traditionally been the most ridiculous of The Avengers. Prior to the release of Justice League, Hunnam’s name hit a lot of fancasts as the DCEU choice for Oliver Queen/Green Arrow. At first he was reluctant, but perhaps King Arthur’s poor box office changed his mind, as he’s become much more open to the idea. The hard truth is superhero movies aren’t for everyone and it feels like Hunnam’s style may not fit the genre.

6 BETTER: DOMINIC COOPER AS FANDRAL

At this point we all know about Zachary Levi missing out on being Fandral in the first Thor, then joining Thor: The Dark World after Josh Dallas had to drop out. Between the time that original actor Stuart Townsend left the movie and Josh Dallas stepped in, Dominic Cooper’s name was on the list to join the Warriors Three. Thor’s friends never had a huge presence in the movies, culminating in their unceremonious deaths in Ragnarok. So, it actually worked out better for Cooper that he got a role that had far more impact on the MCU when he was cast as Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger, a role he continued to play on TV in Agent Carter.

As the younger version of Stark, Cooper was there for the transformation of Cap and created his costume and shield. Later he helped Peggy break free from the discrimination of the SSR by trusting her with proving his innocence and eventually teaming with her to form S.H.I.E.L.D. After seeing Robert Downey Jr. perfectly embody Tony Stark, it was so fun to watch Cooper play what was essentially a '40s version of him as Howard. The way the MCU occasionally has flashbacks we won’t be the least bit surprised to see Cooper pop up again. Considering how great he was as Howard, we would have loved to see him play in the sandbox of Asgard.

5 WORSE: TRIPLE H AS THOR

One of the most curious names in consideration to play Thor was Paul Levesque, aka WWE superstar Triple H. This may sound like nonsense to non-wrestling fans, but anyone who’s ever seen the Cerebral Assassin in the ring knows this makes perfect sense. He has the long hair, and built physique of an Asgardian warrior. He often refers to himself in the third person, is very full of himself and his weapon of choice is a sledgehammer. Put all that together and of course he should be Thor in a giant franchise right?

The one problem is, unless he’s playing Triple H, Levesque isn’t that great of an actor. He will be the first to tell you his work in Blade: Trinity is laughably bad. He’s also starred in a few WWE Studios films, where again he just wasn’t that great. Like we said, he’s one of the best in the business as evil authority figure Triple H, but playing anyone else isn’t really his strong suit. For the unfamiliar, WWE produces generic action and comedy movies that star its wrestlers, but they’re not the best and are usually only watched by wrestling fans. With a resume this lean, there’s just no way we could trust him as the God of Thunder. We’d rather just continue to cheer for him as the King of Kings.

4 BETTER: DANIEL CRAIG AS THOR

Little known fact, James Bond was almost an Avenger. Daniel Craig was originally offered the role of Thor, but had to pass because of his 007 responsibilities. Obviously, Craig’s Thor would have been an older, wiser Asgardian warrior and we have to wonder what the storyline was for this version of the hero. Would he have been more jaded, or perhaps even more full of himself? At this point he had done Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, so even if he were available, it would have been really hard to shake off the Bond label to become the God of Thunder.

Based on how he’s completely changed one of the most famous movie characters and made it his own over each progressive film, there’s no doubt he would have taken Thor on a fascinating journey over the course of the franchise. Other than being the world’s greatest spy, Craig is also known for his work in Cowboys & Aliens and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Recently, he’s branched out and done some comedy in Logan Lucky, which means his take on Thor would have been a perfect blend of all the hero’s best elements. As much as we love Chris Hemsworth, there’s a small part of us that will always wonder what if.

3 WORSE: JOEL KINNAMAN AS THOR

As Marvel began its quest to find the best actor to play each Avenger, Joel Kinnaman was one of the many men vying for the part of Thor. At the time, the Swedish actor was mainly known for the film Easy Money and the original The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. He certainly fit the unknown action star mold the studio seemed to be looking for. He lost out on the role, but did eventually get to have his comic book moment.

Unfortunately, there’s something a little generic about Kinnaman. He’s perfectly fine in RoboCop, but he’s also forgettable at times. Remember him as Liam Neeson’s son in Run All Night? No, neither do we, and we’ll admit we occasionally get him confused with Jai Courtney. Google it, we’ll wait. He ended up with the right comic book character when he was cast as Rick Flagg in Suicide Squad. The ensemble piece gave him chances to shine, but then also let him be a solid support for the other characters. Kinnaman shines brighter in an ensemble, rather than having the spotlight on him for an entire film. There’s no word yet on if he’ll be back for Suicide Squad 2.

2 BETTER: MADS MIKKELSEN AS MALEKITH

It’s no secret that Marvel has long had a problem with its villains. Other than a few, they aren’t really that well developed, because the focus is always on the hero. One of the many lost in the shuffle was Malekith in Thor: The Dark World. He’s the leader of the Dark Elves and holds Asgard responsible for the loss of his family and his people. He plans to use the Aether to destroy all the realms so everyone will know his pain. Christopher Eccleston did an admirable job with what he was given, but most of Malekith’s backstory ended up on the cutting room floor. We have to wonder if the producers had their original choice, would we have seen more of him and his motivations.

The role was first offered to Mads Mikkelsen, but he turned it down to do Hannibal. On the NBC series, Mikkelsen excelled at taking one of the most evil characters in film and TV, and making him relatable. He does tend to get typecast as the villain, but he’s just so good at giving life to bad guys. He did get his turn as an MCU villain as Kaecilius in Doctor Strange, but he was hidden underneath makeup and fell victim to the curse that had taken out so many of the franchise’s other big bads.

1 WORSE: CHANNING TATUM AS THOR

We should start by saying we like Channing Tatum. He’s very talented and has been great in the Magic Mike movies, 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street, so it’s not that he would’ve been a bad Thor, it’s that Thor is not the superhero he should be looking to play. We know that he can do the action and comedy required, but he would have lost us during the serious Asgardian mythology scenes. At the time, Marvel must have been really high on Tatum, because he was also in the running for Captain America -- seemed they really wanted to make him a big screen Avenger.

Though it appears he’s missed his chance to join The Avengers, the actor may still get a shot at joining a famous superhero team with his long delayed and often-in-turmoil Gambit movie. No matter what Tatum, Simon Kinberg, or Fox says we’ll be shocked if this film ever actually sees the light of day considering all the delays and problems that the production seems to go through on a daily basis. It’s gone through several rewrites and three directors, with no solid plan in sight. At this point he might be better served moving on to a new hero. Controversial suggestion: Oliver Queen/Green Arrow.