From “God Of Thunder” to Thunderlips! Chris Hemsworth, 35, who’s a key player in the MCU franchise as the superhero Thor, is putting down the hammer to take on a new role: wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, 65, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The new biopic, which is reportedly closing deals with Netflix, will still have a superhero influence as the director-screenwriter team is said to be Todd Phillips and Scott Silver, the same pair behind the upcoming DCEU movie The Joker. John Pollono will also co-write the screenplay and the project is in its “early stages,” according to the outlet.
The movie news was happy for some, bad for others. “If you would have told me 15 years ago that Kim, the gym guy in Home and Away would end up playing not just Thor but also Hulk Hogan, then BROTHER, I would have said you’ve been taking the wrong kinda vitamins! Chris Hemsworth you legend! 👏,” one fan tweeted, recalling how far Chris has come along on his IMDb record. Another fan warmed up to the idea, writing, “Can totally see the legend @chrishemsworth in this role. He’s got the acting chops and the physique. And with Todd Phillips taking on more serious subject matters, this has potential to be a biopic classic.” And a third fan tweeted, “Chris Hemsworth is playing Hulk Hogan is a biopic on Netflix… might be perfect casting honestly I can’t wait to see it.”
Many others weren’t quite so receptive to seeing Mr. Hemsworth step into the ring as Hulkamania. “Chris hemsworth is playing hulk hogan in a movie? please say sike,” one fan tweeted. Another person wrote, “I mourn for Chris Hemsworth. That spray tan he’s going to have to get to play Hulk Hogan is going to be…something.” And there were the moviegoers who didn’t know how to feel about the news, as one tweeted, “Chris Hemsworth will play Hulk Hogan in a biopic from the director of ‘The Hangover.’ That’s a lot to process, brother.”
https://twitter.com/ki11monger/status/1098355589644763137
I would have never thought about this, but this is great casting. I’ll totally watch this.
“Chris Hemsworth is Hulk Hogan in New Biopic” https://t.co/SBp9R59SMo pic.twitter.com/QqUZFnUF35
— Rokk (@RokkRevolution) February 20, 2019
As for the specifics, the biopic will reportedly “focus on [Hulk’s] rise and is described as an origin story of the Hulkster and Hulkamania,” sources told The Hollywood Reporter. This just adds to the many movies on Chris’s roster, as he’s also starring in the upcoming Men in Black: International film, and, of course, Avengers: Endgame.