Anthony Hopkins Says Playing MCU's Odin Convinced Him to Continue Acting

There is little doubt that playing Odin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was an awesome gig for Anthony Hopkins and it all started with Thor. However, it was almost not meant to be. Hopkins revealed that he was ready to retire from acting in 2009 but the role of the All-Father was just too good to pass up.

Back in 2009, it was confirmed that Hopkins is joining the cast of Thor, which had already landed two unknown actors Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. Hopkins was a huge name that the MCU flick needed and director Kenneth Branagh made sure the screen icon would be in his movie.

Hopkins opened up about how the casting went down in the new book The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Silence of the Lambs actor credited Branagh for convincing him to take the role and postpone his retirement.

"Branagh gave me back the chops to work," Hopkins said. "I was gonna give it up, really. But you see, [Branagh] won't let you do that. Working with Ken was quite an injection of new energy into my life."

Joining the MCU meant Hopkins wasn't retiring anytime soon. After appearing as the All-Father in Thor, he reprised the role in the sequels Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok. Needless to say, the first film gave Hopkins the chance to remember how fun it is to work as an actor.

For now, it is unclear if Hopkins will return in Thor: Love and Thunder since his character was killed off in Ragnarok. However, fans can expect to see another Odin in Thor 4. Sam Neill will return as Actor Odin in the highly anticipated MCU sequel.

Thor: Love and Thunder is scheduled for release on July 8, 2022.

Related: Thor: Love and Thunder Set Photos Tease The Dark World Throwback