When Marvel cast Chris Hemsworth as Thor, a collective "Who?" echoed around the Internet. When it was explained that Hemsworth played Kirk's father in Star Trek, the question changed to: "Him?" Marvel Entertainment President Kevin Feige is not among the cries of panic. Feige thinks the Australian actor has something pretty special:
As new actors make their way into feature films, it is a rare thing to find someone who is not only immensely watchable and engaging, but can also represent a timeless and key character from the Marvel universe in such a compelling way. We have been watching Chris hone his craft over the last several months and due to his persistence and talent he rose above everyone else embodying the actor we were looking for.
Star Trek screenwriter Alex Kurtzman was so impressed, he thinks Hemsworth could carry his own Star Trek:
So many people seemed to marvel at the fact that they cried in the first 10 minutes of Trek, and that's directly a result of the amazing work Chris did. As long as he plays the part, there could be an entire Star Trek movie devoted to the heroic adventures of George Kirk.
Hemsworth will soon be seen everywhere. Up next is the thriller A Perfect Getaway, opening August 14, followed by Joss Whedon's horror flick The Cabin in the Woods opening February 5. Before Thor, Hemsworth will also shoot the remake of Red Dawn, opening September 2010.