In March, it was revealed that Academy Award-winning actor Russell Crowe was joining the star-studded cast of the upcoming Marvel movie “Thor: Love and Thunder.”
While his role in the film was being kept under wraps at the time, Crowe recently revealed his character’s identity during an interview on the Australian radio show, “JOY Breakfast with The Murphys.”
Collider reports that Crowe casually concluded the interview saying, “
Now I’m gonna get on my bicycle, I’m gonna ride up to Disney-Fox studios, and I’m gonna get the hot tongs out (curling iron), and round about 9:15 I shall be Zeus in Thor 4. It’s my last day of Zeus-ing about, and I’m gonna enjoy it.
The Australian actor will take on the role of Zeus, Lord of the Sky. AV Club reports that the addition of Zeus (and possibly a few more Olympians) in the ‘Thor’ franchise will likely send shockwaves through the entire MCU, pointing out two major takeaways:
- Takeaway 1: Christian Bale’s role as Gorr the God Butcher, the main villain in “Thor: Love and Thunder,” now takes on a new meaning. While fans initially theorized that the character’s title “God Butcher” referred to Norse gods (like Thor and his friends), Crowe’s role as Zeus suggests that Gorr might have his sights on Mount Olympus.
According to Cinema Blend, Gorr’s life goal is, as his name suggests, to destroy every god in the Marvel universe because he received no aid when he and his family prayed for help.
- Takeaway 2: Zeus’s introduction into the MCU paves a path for Hercules, a fan-favorite Marvel character, to make a big screen appearance somewhere down the line.
Den of Geek reports that Hercules first appeared in the Marvel universe in 1965, in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s comic “Thor’s Journey Into Mystery.” Since then, Hercules has been featured in several comics fighting alongside Thor and has even teamed up with the Avengers on more than one occasion.
In his Den of Geek article, Mike Cecchini describes Hercules as a “fun-loving, hedonistic goofball” and “perfect for the tone of the MCU.” Cecchini adds that the character also has potential to be franchise headliner if Marvel ever decided to explore that possibility.
“Thor: Love and Thunder” is currently filming in Australia and is expected to hit theaters in May 2022, according to IMDb.