From Thor to Hulk Hogan: Chris Hemsworth’s uphill battle

Fans remain divided over casting of Australian heartthrob as 80’s wrestling superstar

KARACHI: What an eventful week it has been!

Jussie Smollett has been suspended from TV show Empire for staging a ‘racist attack’ upon himself and singer R Kelly has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Meanwhile, India has been banning Pakistani artists and content and Pakistan is responding by taking down Indian films from local cinemas. When the WWE fans are enjoying an exciting match, they often chant “Fight Forever.” Little do they know that’s exactly what Pakistan and India’s situation is beginning to seem like.

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Regardless, some more positive news that came out last week has intrigued fans of the Avengers franchise, as well as WWE. Chris ‘Thor’ Hemsworth is set to star as WWE legend and Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan in an upcoming biopic produced by Netflix.

Not many details have come out yet except that it will be helmed by Todd Phillips, known for directing The Hangover trilogy. The Netflix original will be produced by Bradley Cooper, former WWE personality (and WCW President) Eric Bischoff, Hemsworth and Phillips, while Hogan will serve as one of the executive producers.

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When it comes to casting, one tries hard to imagine the Thor star as The Hulkster. The two don’t look alike. The film will focus on the WWE star’s early days in the Florida wrestling circuit in the 1970s and the rise of ‘Hulkamania,’ with the subsequent stardom in the then-World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) of the 80s.

And Hogan, in the 80s, was a buffed strongman. He looked like a Suzuki hi-roof with legs, donning yellow and red as he kicked and body-slammed opponents. Hemsworth, on the other hand, doesn’t resemble the WWE icon exactly, unless he goes through an incredible transformation of Christian Bale-magnitude.

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Hogan’s life has certainly been quite fascinating: from his rise as a new American hero to becoming the greatest star in wrestling history to being involved in sex-tape and racism scandals and lawsuits. This an era of biopics gives popular personalities the freedom to tell their own stories and be remembered the way they want. Hogan’s life, without a doubt, provides the perfect subject for an entertaining film.

However, a lot of such controversial incidents will obviously not be touched upon. The WWE star was involved in a sextape with his friend’s wife, which was leaked by Gawker.com. Hogan subsequently sued the firm in 2012 and received $150 million for the damage. The content of tape also revealed he had used racist and homophobic slurs.

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Another recorded phone call with his son exposed more such details, which ostracised him from the wrestling fraternity. In 2015, Hogan was suspended from WWE Hall of Fame and all of his mentions in the programming and online media were removed. However, in 2018, he returned to WWE and made up by apologising to his comrades.

Hogan, as the executive producer of the yet-untitled film, would rather focus on his glory days than indulge in portraying a controversial picture of himself. And rightly so. The Immortal One has the ground to immortalise himself yet again in cinema and be talked about for his professional successes rather than the opposite.

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Hemsworth, meanwhile, will have an opportunity to play another hero after the God of Thunder in the Marvel Universe.  And sure, a transformation may help him look like Hogan, but it’ll take a whole lot of over-the-top body language and projection to make the audience believe in him. The WWE star enjoys global fame which will likely make the job more difficult for Hemsworth when he tells the children to eat their vitamins and say their prayers.

A considerable section of online wrestling fans has echoed the sentiment, deeming Hemsworth an unlikely choice. But considering the similarities between the Marvel and WWE Universe – both revolving around larger-than-life superhero characters overcoming the odds in fights between good and evil, Hemsworth just might pull it off.

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