Chris Hemsworth may have formed a tag team with The Incredible Hulk in the Marvel moviesbut he was about to do the same with a very different Hulk. Legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan, that is. In 2019, the Australian actor planned playing the American wrestler for a Netflix biopic project. Just when I was all for Hemsworth getting the chance to play one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, the project fell through when Hogan explained what was really happening behind the scenes.
Playing Thor may have made Chris Hemsworth one of the world’s highest-paid actors, but he’s since played so many roles that have deviated from his action hero trope. He got fast and furious with Daniel Bruhl in which he plays racing driver James Hunt Hast, throw in Bad times at El Royale as manipulative cult leader, and first mate Owen Chase Ron Howard‘S In the heart of the seajust to name a few.
But Chris Hemsworth got the chance to play a completely different role than anything we’ve ever seen him in before we planned to be in Hulk Hogan in a new Netflix biopic. Just as I was getting excited to get the Extraction actor dons the white tail and gets ripped in front of the ring, real wrestler revealed an update that there was no “green light” for the project. Hulk Hogan spoke about the PBD podcast on what really happened with the canceled biopic:
They kind of missed a beat in the contract, yes (when Patrick Bet-David said Netflix messed up). A payment was made that was not processed at the correct time. The script was great. Scott Silver, who wrote the script for Joker, Wolf of Wall Street and a bunch of other films, said, “This is the best thing I’ve ever written.” When I read it I think, oh my god, this is really good. At the time, I was in a room where I told him the positive things about wrestling.
It seems that even if the script was a success, the business dealings didn’t work out for Netflix in making the project a reality. On the other hand, Hulk Hogan Withdrew From Netflix Biopic, fearing that viewers might only remember him through his Netflix portrayal. As much as the former WWE member loved the sports biopic’s Oscar-worthy script, but he also found it incredibly dark as he saw that the upcoming film would showcase the good and bad of professional wrestling. Hogan has experienced some dark moments in his life, such as his high-profile divorce from Linda Claridge, a leaked sex tape scandal and the physical toll wrestling took on him. So something tells me that the planned Netflix film would explore some of these heavy events.
The chance to see Chris Hemsworth play Hulk Hogan would have been an entertaining sight to see. Based on his experience playing a long-haired, muscular Son of Asgard in the Thor movies, the Furiosa actor could definitely pull off playing a force of nature in the wrestling ring. It would have been incredible to see Hemsworth bring out Hogan’s larger-than-life personality, as well as the emotional vulnerabilities the wrestler faced in his life.
Furthermore, Chris Hemsworth’s transformation into playing “Hollywood” Hogan would involve more than just seeing the movie Star Trek actor sports the wrestler’s signature bleach blonde mustache and uses an ’80s American accent. We had seen the talented actor get himself into wrestling shape just as he has done for his other roles. Hemsworth got fit for the Thor movies by exercising one to two times a day and then eating six meals of protein and vegetables daily. Then the winner received the People’s Choice Award insanely skinny In the heart of the sea doing a new diet and exercise program called ‘Lost at Sea’.
(Image credit: Walt Disney Studios)
Even though the Hulk Hogan biopic was still in the development stages, Chris Hemsworth still showed what a dedicated actor he was physically preparing for the upcoming role. He revealed that he got himself more ripped when you play the five-time WWF Champion then Thor become bigger than ever before. Considering that Hogan looked beastly during his time in the ring, that would make a lot of sense. Now that we know the Hulk Hogan biopic for Netflix is off, it looks like we only have one fan image of what Hemsworth would look like like the infamous wrestler who holds us back.
It’s a real shame that confusion in Netflix’s business dealings ultimately caused the upcoming Hulk Hogan biopic project to fall through. I was very excited to see Chris Hemsworth take on the transformative (and possibly Oscar-worthy) role of a man who took the wrestling community by storm in the ’80s. But as Hogan previously said his life rights were up for grabs, this hopefully means another streaming service or studio will get their hands on a Hogan biopic or even a documentary or miniseries like the WWE Hall of Famer wanted.
Although the Hulk Hogan biopic isn’t out yet, you can still catch it on Netflix 2024 Movie Releases so you don’t miss a beat of the latest movies to stream.