Summary

Canceling the Hulk Hogan biopic could be good for Chris Hemsworth, as playing such a controversial figure may backfire on his career.
Portraying Hulk Hogan would be a tonal disaster due to his complexity, struggles, and controversies, making it difficult to balance the story’s portrayal.
Hemsworth doesn’t need the Hulk Hogan movie to showcase his range, as his roles in non-MCU films like Furiosa already prove his versatility and talent.

Chris Hemsworth is currently one of the most popular actors in Hollywood, and one seemingly canceled movie may have just helped him avoid disaster. After his MCU debut in 2011, Hemsworth’s star status has continued to grow, becoming one of the most recognizable modern names in the acting industry. While he is best known for playing Thor, Chris Hemsworth’s best movies include a variety of different themes and genres that showcase the actor’s range. His career has been full of success so far, but one upcoming movie could have hurt his reputation had it not been supposedly canceled.

Hemsworth was supposed to play Hulk Hogan in a biopic, but this no longer appears to be happening. The latest update on Hemsworth’s Hulk Hogan movie came from Hogan himself, who claimed Netflix missed the date on the project, leaving its future up in the air. Although Hemsworth has remained optimistic about playing the part, there hasn’t been any significant progress on the biopic in a long time, making its chances of being greenlit less and less certain. While this may be a major disappointment for the actor, it could actually be a blessing in disguise for his career.

Playing Hulk Hogan Could Easily Backfire For Chris Hemsworth

Hulk Hogan’s Controversial Nature Could Be Damaging To Hemsworth’s Career

Playing a massive name like Hulk Hogan would be one of Hemsworth’s biggest roles yet, but it could also backfire. While Hogan is one of the most iconic figures in the wrestling industry, he is also extremely controversial, which may hurt Hemsworth’s career. He wouldn’t be the first actor to play a notorious celebrity on-screen, but the biopic may struggle to know whether to celebrate or vilify Hogan, especially if the former wrestler was involved in the project. It would be impossible for the Hulk Hogan movie to ignore his controversies, but it also can’t leave out his eccentric personality.

Despite Hogan’s divisive nature, he is still one of the most accomplished wrestlers of all time, meaning the movie would struggle to find an identity. Having Hogan’s larger-than-life persona and 80s nostalgia mixed with darker, less family-friendly moments would be a tonal disaster, creating a messy final product. It would have to skip major parts of his life that define who he is; otherwise, it won’t be the movie people expect. The inability to find this balance is likely why the movie hasn’t been greenlit, and seemingly avoiding this headache could actually be good for Hemsworth’s future.

2023’s The Iron Claw Proves How Difficult A Hulk Hogan Movie Would Be

The Hulk Hogan Biopic Would Struggle To Match The Iron Claw’s Raw & Realistic Portrayal Of The Wrestling Industry

Although Hulk Hogan has an incredible story, The Iron Claw proves how difficult it would be to bring this to the big screen. The Von Erich family are well known within the industry but are nowhere near as mainstream as Hogan. Despite this, their story made for an excellent piece of cinema, mainly because The Iron Claw was willing to show the dark and tragic realities of the wrestling industry. The Iron Claw included the Von Erich family’s tragic deaths alongside some of the hardships wrestlers face, while still celebrating the industry in a meaningful and authentic way.

The Iron Claw (2023)

R
Biography
Sports
Drama

The Iron Claw portrays the rise and fall of the Von Erich family, a dynasty in professional wrestling. Directed by Sean Durkin, the film explores the family members’ personal struggles and tragic fates and the lasting impact they left on the sport.

DirectorSean Durkin
Release DateDecember 22, 2023
Studio(s)A24 , House Productions
Distributor(s)A24
WritersSean Durkin
CastZac Efron , Jeremy Allen White , Harris Dickinson , Holt McCallany , Maura Tierney , Stanley Simons , Lily James , Maxwell Friedman , Brady Pierce , Aaron Dean Eisenberg , Kevin Anton , Cazzey Louis Cereghino , Chavo Guerrero Jr. , Ryan Nemeth , Scott Innes
Runtime132 minutes
Main GenreDrama

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The movie pays homage to the industry, but it doesn’t mislead the audience about how difficult life as a wrestler can be. Trying to reflect this in a Hulk Hogan movie would be much harder, as it couldn’t simply be filled with feel-good moments. Hogan’s in-ring career was all about electrifying moves and pumping up the crowd, but the biopic would have to display the darker side of the sport as well as his personal demons. This doesn’t exactly reflect what many fans would expect heading into the Hulk Hogan film, proving how challenging this project would be to execute.

Chris Hemsworth Is Already Breaking Out Of The MCU Mold (Even Without Playing Hogan)

Furiosa Offers Hemsworth The Perfect Opportunity To Break The MCU Mold

While the Hulk Hogan movie would give Hemsworth the chance to break out of the MCU mold, the actor is more than capable of doing this without the wrestling biopic. Although he is often associated with Thor, Hemsworth has already proven that he can do more than play the God of Thunder. His performances in Extraction, Spiderhead, and Bad Times at the El Royale were all completely different and show how diverse he is. Hemsworth mainly got to display his action and comedy skills in the MCU, but his other projects have proven he has much more to his arsenal.

Starring as the main villain in a huge blockbuster is exactly what Hemsworth needs to flaunt his range and offer a Marvel alternative.

Furiosa will also give him the ultimate chance to deliver a memorable, mainstream performance outside the MCU. Starring as the main villain in a huge blockbuster is exactly what Hemsworth needs to flaunt his range and offer a Marvel alternative. It is arguably his biggest non-superhero role to date, and he looks incredibly promising as Dr.Dementus, proving that he doesn’t need the Hulk Hogan biopic. Although Hemsworth will reprise his role as Thor in the future, Furiosa, alongside his previous work, is more than enough to break the MCU mold and showcase the actor’s versatility.