--- title: John Krasinski Didn't Do Captain America Because of Thor description: John Krasinksi really wanted to play Captain America—until he saw Chris Hemsworth canonical: https://time.com/4464279/john-krasinksi-chris-hemsworth-captain-america/ author: Melissa Locker article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-08-24T15:42:34.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:35:47.637Z og:title: John Krasinksi Didn't Do Captain America Because of Thor og:description: In his defense, Chris Hemsworth is a really good superhero og:url: https://time.com/4464279/john-krasinksi-chris-hemsworth-captain-america/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ad4cf6416c880e0/6988a384e20a8774c3a9224a/john.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Premiere Of Sony Pictures Classics' "The Hollars" - Arrivals og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: John Krasinksi Didn't Do Captain America Because of Thor twitter:description: In his defense, Chris Hemsworth is a really good superhero twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ad4cf6416c880e0/6988a384e20a8774c3a9224a/john.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # John Krasinksi: It’s Chris Hemsworth’s Fault I Don’t Play Captain America > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=084748f9-62bd-4840-895b-ee4fab272c0c&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=084748f9-62bd-4840-895b-ee4fab272c0c&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=084748f9-62bd-4840-895b-ee4fab272c0c&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=084748f9-62bd-4840-895b-ee4fab272c0c&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Aug 24, 2016 3:42 PM UTC  Actor John Krasinski attends the premiere of "The Hollars" at Linwood Dunn Theater on August 22, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. Actor John Krasinski attends the premiere of "The Hollars" at Linwood Dunn Theater on August 22, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. Jason LaVeris-FilmMagic by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Aug 24, 2016 3:42 PM UTC Only one thing stood in the way of John Krasinski playing [Captain America](http://time.com/4346498/captain-america-bucky-barnes-boyfriend/?iid=sr-link2)_—_[Chris Hemsworth](http://time.com/3602499/woody-harrelson-hunger-games-liam-chris-hemsworth-brothers/?iid=sr-link4). On _Conan_ on Tuesday night, Krasinski—perhaps still best known as Jim from the American version of _The Office_—recounted the story of auditioning to play Steve Rogers, who himself is better known as the first Avenger, [Captain America. ](http://time.com/4347224/captain-america-hydra-agent-marvel-tom-brevoort/?iid=sr-link1) For Krasinski, playing a superhero would have been a dream come true, and he went to the audition determined to get the part. To help get him in the mindset of a scrawny enlisted man who is given a secret serum that transforms him into a muscled U.S. soldier with incredible athletic ability, Krasinski was allowed to suit up in full Captain America garb. But something happened—[Chris Hemsworth](http://time.com/4322840/chris-hemsworth-daughter-birthday-cake/?iid=sr-link1), who plays [Thor](http://time.com/4396301/chris-hemsworth-thor-ragnarok-hammer/?iid=sr-link3) in the Marvel movies, walked by. While [Chris Evans ](http://time.com/4290380/chris-evans-captain-america-jimmy-kimmel/?iid=sr-link2)eventually got the part as [Captain America](http://time.com/4290412/presidential-race-captain-america-video-jimmy-kimmel/?iid=sr-link5), as Krasinski told Conan O’Brien, at least in his head he got the role. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4464279/john-krasinksi-chris-hemsworth-captain-america/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4464279/john-krasinksi-chris-hemsworth-captain-america/"},"headline":"John Krasinksi: It’s Chris Hemsworth’s Fault I Don’t Play Captain America","datePublished":"2016-08-24T15:42:34.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:35:47.637Z","description":"Blame Thor!","url":"https://time.com/4464279/john-krasinksi-chris-hemsworth-captain-america/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Television","movies","Chris Evans","Captain America","conan","Chris Hemsworth"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ad4cf6416c880e0/6988a384e20a8774c3a9224a/john.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Locker","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ad4cf6416c880e0/6988a384e20a8774c3a9224a/john.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Premiere Of Sony Pictures Classics' \"The Hollars\" - Arrivals","caption":"Premiere Of Sony Pictures Classics' \"The Hollars\" - Arrivals","creditText":"Jason LaVeris-FilmMagic","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4464279/john-krasinksi-chris-hemsworth-captain-america/","name":"John Krasinksi: It’s Chris Hemsworth’s Fault I Don’t Play Captain America"}}]}] ```