Chris Hemsworth provides a disappointing update on his and Joker director Todd Phillips’s planned Hulk Hogan biopic. Hemsworth rose to global fame playing the character of Thor, the God of Thunder, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is next slated to star in the upcoming Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Hogan rose to prominence in WWE (then named WWF), and became the most popular and recognizable wrestling star of the 1980s. He is regarded as integral to helping bring the sport to mainstream prominence. A Hulk Hogan biopic involving Hemsworth and Phillips has been in development for several years now.
During an exclusive interview with Screen Rant to discuss the upcoming release of Furiosa, Hemsworth was asked about the project. His response was cautious, stating that nothing is confirmed yet, but he’d still like to work on it, before comparing finding his Hogan voice with his experiences playing Dementus in Furiosa. Check out Hemsworth’s full comments below:
Hogan has always been a controversial figure, and his larger-than-life persona and great success make him a compelling choice for a big-screen biopic. He remains one of the most iconic former professional wrestlers of all-time. His outspoken opinions and troubled personal life were in stark contrast to his monumental sporting legacy as a six-time WWE and six-time WCW wrestling champion, and this is something that would translate well to a biopic and could prove to be engaging to audiences.
It is likely that the movie would take the form of an origin story, following Hogan (real name Terry Gene Bollea) from his humble beginnings as a struggling wrestler in 1977 to his rising career when he signed with World Wresling Federation in 1983 and became the face of the brand’s flagship WrestleMania event, which he headlined a then-record eight times. In many ways, he helped build up professional wrestling into what it is today, particularly through the persona he adopted during matches. This could be a core plot point of the biopic as well.
The critical acclaim of The Iron Claw, as well as the growing acting careers of former WWE stars like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena, show that interest in the sport of wrestling, and its legacy, is still strong, and there could be an audience for a Hogan movie. He could even cameo in the project, particularly because he has so far been involved in the development process. There is no guarantee it’ll happen, or that Hemsworth and Phillips will be involved, but they make an intriguing pair that could bring humor, dramatic weight, and substance to the project.