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Why Luke Hemsworth Plays Actor Thor (Not Liam) | Screen Rant

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Thor: Love and Thunder!

Thor: Love and Thunder features many cameos from its cast’s family members, though some wonder why Chris Hemsworth’s brother Luke was chosen to play Actor Thor instead of his brother Liam. Keeping it in the family, Chris’ daughter India plays the titular role of Love, Gorr the God Butcher’s daughter, with one of his twin sons playing young Thor in a flashback. Chris’ wife also appears, along with the children of other Thor stars Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, and Taika Waititi. However, considering Liam's history with the first Thor movie, it seems he'd have been the logical inclusion to play Actor Thor rather than the third Hemsworth brother, Luke.

Some of the best cameos in Thor: Love and Thunder occur when Asgardian actors recreate the scene from Thor: Ragnarok where Odin dies. In this play, Melissa McCarthy, Sam Neill, Matt Damon, and Luke Hemsworth all make cameos as the actor versions of Hela, Odin, Loki, and Thor respectively. The latter three reprised these roles from a similar scene in Thor: Ragnarok, aiding in the continuity of life on Asgard across recent Thor movies. Though other cameos were cut from Thor: Love and Thunder, this scene likely survived because of Taika Waititi, known for his unique humor that is evidenced by Luke, and not Liam, playing actor Thor.

Related: Thor: Love & Thunder's Biggest Plot Holes and Headscratchers

Ironically, Liam was almost cast as Thor in the hero’s first movie. Both Liam and Chris auditioned and after making it to the last few potential actors, casting directors decided they really liked Liam but wanted someone older. Chris was called back to audition again and landed the role. It may make more sense for Liam to play actor Thor than Luke, but the added irony and subtle diss to Liam almost being cast as Thor only adds to the hilarity of the scene for those who know this backstory. Additionally, while both Luke and Liam look like Chris, Luke resembling him less lends a “not quite right” gag element to the joke. This layered humor also plays perfectly into the sharp brand of comedy Waititi has brought to the two most recent Thor installments.

Like his brothers, the oldest Hemsworth is a successful actor. Primarily a television actor, Luke began his career in 2001 on the Australian soap opera Neighbours. He has also appeared in other series like The Saddle Club, Last Man Standing, and has a main role in Westworld. Luke has also appeared in a range of movies, including The Anomaly, Hickok, and Death of Me. In 2018, Luke was chosen as the new face of Tourism Australia, appearing in a fake Crocodile Dundee remake ad with a cardboard cut-out of Chris.

Thor: Love and Thunder and Thor: Ragnarok aren’t Luke’s only parodies of his brother’s legendary Marvel role. No stranger to ads, Luke also played Actor Thor in an Old Spice commercial, which doubled as promotion for Thor: Love and Thunder. The company seems to be in on the joke, tweeting “[s]mell like a God. Or the next best thing, an actor playing a God,” (via Twitter). It seems Marvel isn’t the only company capitalizing on the amusing casting of a non-Chris Hemsworth as Thor.

Between Gorr’s daughter Love (now Thor’s adopted niece), Jane Foster returning as Mighty Thor, and the many cameos from the cast’s relatives, the “Love” in Thor: Love and Thunder seems to take on multiple meanings. The choice to cast Luke as Actor Thor instead of Liam adds a great familial joke to the movie, as Liam has now lost out on playing Thor not once, but twice. Hopefully, this comedic bit makes a return in the fifth Thor installment, and Liam doesn't feel too left out.

Next: Why Thor 5’s Release Date Could Be A Long Way Away

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