Disney Executives Blocked Thor's Chris Hemsworth From Doing A Dangerous Stunt

Chris Hemsworth's first movie gig was playing George Kirk, the father of James T. Kirk, in the opening scenes of J.J. Abrams' 2009 film "Star Trek." His role was small but significant, and he was seen by millions. Two years later, he skyrocketed to worldwide fame playing the title character in Kenneth Branagh's "Thor," one of the earlier films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He's gone on to portray Thor in several additional MCU movies and is one of many MCU actors slated to star in 2026's "Avengers: Doomsday." Indeed, Hemsworth is a confident leading man who's also worked on notable studio movies like "Rush," "In the Heart of the Sea," and Netflix's "Extraction" films. He even voiced Optimus Prime in "Transformers One" and played the Huntsman in "Snow White and the Huntsman."

It's also a mere fact of life that Hemsworth is one of the most handsome actors working today. He's tall, muscular, and has a dazzling smile. Really, he's so attractive that he often seems out-of-place in "everyday" film scenes. Screenwriters must have to revise their scripts so that other characters respond more realistically to being around a man that gorgeous. That, in turn, made him a great fit for Thor, as Thor is a literal god.

To maintain his physique, Hemsworth does a lot of strenuous physical activity and has undergone extensive personal training to bulk up. His physical prowess even led directly to the TV series "Limitless with Chris Hemsworth," a documentary show directed by Darren Aronofsky and backed by National Geographic. The series explores the historic ways humans have built up their personal strength, and Hemsworth was game enough to travel the world and attempt stunts like arctic water dunking, fasting, and ancient Australian ceremonies.

However, as he revealed during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hemsworth was forbidden from performing a particularly dangerous "Limitless" stunt. It seems he offered to go surfing on a beach known for 40-foot waves, only for National Geographic to, sadly, put the kibosh on that, deeming it too risky.

Hemsworth was very aware that Disney owned the National Geographic brand. Disney also owns the MCU, you see, so he was still under the auspices of the same company while working on "Limitless." Hence, with the actor being contracted to appear in future Disney-owned projects, the studio has all the more reason to be extra careful about protecting him from potential injuries. As such, when he suggested a surfing stunt for "Limitless," his bosses' bosses immediately said no. As the actor recalled:

"[T]his was National Geographic, which is Disney+, which is Marvel. So, they did have eyes on it, and there was initially a big wave episode. I was going to attempt to surf a 40-foot wave and train with big wave specialists, but we couldn't get it through the ranks. The risk assessment, basically, was too far gone, so I ended up climbing a 200-meter dam wall. They both have a fair amount of risk attached to them, but it got past the risk assessment team."

Hemsworth did jokingly acknowledge that Disney only wanted him alive so he could play Thor again. Imitating Disney execs, he said, "No, we need him to go off and shoot Thor next. We can't have him drown while filming a big wave episode." Luckily, Hemsworth didn't fall off of the 220-meter dam wall, either, and lived to appear in a second season of "Limitless." The show's title has since been changed to "Limitless: Live Better Now" for its second batch of episodes, possibly as a way of allowing Disney and National Geographic to swap hosts in the future, should circumstances warrant it.

In the first episode of "Limitless: Live Better Now," Hemsworth learns to play the drums in two months. Maybe after he decides to retire from the series, the show can hire a host who's not beholden to Thor movies and, thus, can take more physical risks.