Thor: Love and Thunder is finally here, and among all the action, adventure, and romance, the movie also finds time to introduce a new, major character to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's a surprising moment that comes amid Thor: Love and Thunder post-credits scenes, and to truly dissect it, we're going to have to dig into spoiler territory. So, consider this your…
Spoiler warning! Don't go any further if you haven't seen Thor: Love and Thunder yet! Now then, let's dive into that cameo, who plays the character, and what it might mean for the MCU…
If you've made it this far, then you'll know that Hercules is introduced in the first Thor: Love and Thunder post-credits scenes. Russell Crowe's Zeus is unhappy that gods aren't revered the way they used to be, with humankind putting superheroes above the universe's deities.
"It seems to me that being a God used to mean something," he says. "Now people just want superheroes. When did we become the joke?" He wants his son Hercules to help make the gods figures to be feared and taken seriously again – and the demi-god responds: "Yes, father."
Who plays Hercules in the Thor: Love and Thunder post-credits scene?
If you've watched Ted Lasso then the actor playing Hercules will be very familiar indeed. It's none other than Brett Goldstein, AKA Roy Kent, the gruff, foul-mouthed football star turned Richmond coach. He's also had roles in Doctor Who, Uncle, and Adult Life Skills, and even voiced Tony Stark in Robot Chicken. (We have a roundup of all the Thor: Love and Thunder cameos you might have missed if you need some more info on other surprise actors in the movie.)
"Kevin [Feige, Marvel Studios President] really wanted him to do it, and yeah, Brett's amazing," director Taika Waititi told Uproxx of the moment. "He's great." Waititi isn't quite sure when we might be seeing Hercules again, though. "And I don't know if that's to do with Thor, or if it's to do with how that will develop," he commented. "Because, obviously, Hercules, there's a character from the books as well. And so, yeah, this will be interesting to see because Kevin, he's obviously the mastermind of all of these threads and how they'll tie up and how they meet, mix and match. So I'm curious to find out myself."
Will Brett Goldstein as Hercules be in Thor 5?
It's unclear when we might see Hercules again in the MCU. Judging by the text proclaiming "Thor will return" at the end of the Thor: Love and Thunder credits, we can assume he'll be back sooner rather than later – and most likely in a potential Thor 5, should that sequel happen.
In Marvel comics, Hercules and Thor are rivals, but they have also teamed up together on multiple occasions. Considering Thor almost killed Zeus in Love and Thunder – and the task the Greek god has given his son – we can assume Thor and Hercules won't be buddies the next time we see them both, which could make Hercules an antagonist in a potential Thor 5. But, nothing has been announced yet, so time will tell when (or if) we see Hercules back in the MCU, and whether that will be part of Marvel Phase 4. For more on the son of Zeus, then check out our explainer on Hercules' history in the Marvel comic books – there may be a few clues as to where his story is about to lead.
If you want more Marvel after Thor: Love and Thunder, check out our guides to:
- Thor: Love and Thunder ending explained
- Every Thor: Love and Thunder Easter egg you might have missed
- When does Thor: Love and Thunder take place on the Marvel timeline?
- When to expect Thor: Love and Thunder on Disney Plus
- Who dies in Thor: Love and Thunder?
- Every cut Thor: Love and Thunder cameo, listed
- Does Thor have a daughter in the comics?
- Is Loki in Thor: Love and Thunder?
- How to watch the Marvel movies in order
- The full Marvel timeline, explained
