Daniel Craig was offered the lead role outright, but turned it down to focus on the James Bond franchise. Tom Hiddleston was one of the many young men who auditioned to play Thor, but Marvel felt he was a better fit for Loki. Those who also tested included Charlie Hunnam, Alexander Skarsgard, Joel Kinnaman, Kevin McKidd, and even WWE star Triple-H.

Chris Hemsworth, meanwhile, nearly didn’t even make the cut. The Australian actor struggled to find an agency willing to represent him after coming over from his home country, and while he read for the part of Thor, he didn’t even get a screen test because one of the film’s casting directors nixed him early on. Hemsworth’s younger brother Liam Hemsworth then actually tested for the role, and Marvel passed, but after Chris’ agent pushed Kevin Feige to let Chris read again, the Marvel Studios president relented.

The final choice for the role of Thor came down to brothers Chris Hemsworth and Liam Hemsworth. Chris found it funny: “We both came all the way over here from Australia and ended up battling against each other.” He, however, bore no ill-will towards Liam, claiming he was rooting for him to get the role.

Kevin Feige admitted in 2018 that it was a mistake to dye Hemsworth’s eyebrows and beard blonde just because Thor in the comics looked a certain way.

Executive producer Stan Lee claimed he’d always wanted to play Odin, but was happy with Sir Anthony Hopkins’s casting and performance in the role.

When Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Sir Anthony Hopkins (Odin) saw each other in full armor for the first time, Hopkins said, “God, there’s no acting required here, is there?”

Tom Hiddleston prepared for the role by going on a strict diet before and throughout filming, so that Loki would have a lean, but hungry visage.

To prepare for the role of Thor, Chris Hemsworth put on a massive amount of build and weight, through a six-month regimen of trips to the gym and indulging in a massive diet of eggs, chicken, sandwiches, vegetables, brown rice, steak, and protein drinks.

Chris Hemsworth bulked up to such an extent before his screentest that the original costume (which was designed for a specific size) began cutting the circulation off in his arms and legs when he tried it on for the first time.

A few minutes after Thor smashes the coffee cup in the diner, you can see the truck that Stan Lee was driving pass by the diner. You can tell because the back half is missing from being pulled off when trying to move Mjölnir at the crater.

Alexander Skarsgård was one of the actors in the running for the role of Thor, primarily for his physical appearance. Alexander’s father Stellan landed a role in this movie, as Professor Erik Selvig.

The crater that is created by the impact of Thor’s hammer Mjölnir forms the design of Captain America’s shield (a set of concentric rings, with a star-shaped center).

When looking at the overhead view of the site where Thor’s Hammer landed, you can see the temporary complex built by S.H.I.E.L.D. to surround the Hammer, actually spells out the word “SHIELD”.

Jim Carrey was a long-time favorite and candidate for the role of Loki since The Mask (1994), which indirectly featured Loki.

With Jeff Bridges starring in Iron Man (2008), William Hurt and Tim Roth in The Incredible Hulk (2008), and Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell in Iron Man 2 (2010), this is the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe not to feature an Oscar nominee or winner as the main antagonist or villain.

The agent that grabs a bow and arrow when Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is attempting to recover Mjölnir is referred to as Agent Barton. This is Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), also known as the archer Hawkeye, who becomes a prominent and founding member of the Avengers in The Avengers (2012).

Natalie Portman (Dr. Jane Foster) had been considered to play Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow in Iron Man 2 (2010) which ultimately went to Scarlett Johansson.

Blooper: Thor is soaked and covered with mud when he drops down in front of the hammer in the SHIELD enclosure. When he is led away by the guards, the shot is of a very clean man in a clean navy blue top.