5) Tom Hiddleston (Thor)
So, how did Tom Hiddleston get the role that made his name, then? Well, initially, he had actually set his sights on playing Loki’s brother, Thor! It’s hard to imagine now, but at first, Hiddleston really threw himself into nabbing the lead role.
The British actor worked hard to gain twenty pounds of muscle in time for his screen-test. However, when Branagh saw him he decided that Hiddleston would be a much better fit for Loki. And so, the actor had to go on a strict diet and train in the Brazillian martial art of Capoeira in order to shed the muscles he had acquired in time to play Loki.
While we’re at it, another unlikely British actor was in the running to play the God of Thunder. None other than James Bond himself, Daniel Craig. Craig turned it down though because, in his words, it would have been “too much of a power trip” to play both Bond and Thor. A bunch of other actors were also considered for the role, including Alexander Skarsgard (whose father ended up playing Erik Selvig in the movie) and Chris Hemworth’s brother, Liam.