Reacher star Alan Ritchson has revealed he auditioned to play Thor before Chris Hemsworth sealed the deal.
In a new interview with Men's Health, the actor opened up about his failed audition for the god of thunder in Marvel's 2011 film, admitting he only thought about whether he would look the part.
"I didn’t take it seriously," he explained. "I was like, 'They’ll throw me the part if I look like the guy. Nobody really cares about acting'."
Related: Reacher star's new movie lands fresh Rotten Tomatoes rating after first reviews
However, the casting team told Ritchson’s reps that he hadn't shown he had "the craft", and the part ultimately went to Hemsworth.
Ritchson went on to secure small parts in shows such Black Mirror, New Girl, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as well as a main role in DC series Titans, before landing his breakthrough role as the titular character in Prime Video's Reacher.
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Filming for Reacher season three is currently underway, with Ritchson recently teasing that it's taking place in Maine.
Related: Reacher confirms casting of new series regulars in season 3
The star also opened up about the effects of the gruelling training regime for his character, revealing: "I want to clarify one thing, because in every interview someone says '30 pounds of muscle'. I put on 30 pounds! I don't know how much of that was lean muscle.
"I went from 205lb to 235lb in eight months. I was eating a tonne. I don't think all of that was muscle. I f**king wrecked my body. It was too much. I didn't have time to heal.
"I would strain something and I was like, 'I don't care! I'm working through it!'. I suffered the consequences."
Reacher streams on Prime Video.
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Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
