Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder hasn't had the easiest of runs in theaters, particularly with its massive second-weekend box-office drop and widely mixed reviews from fans and critics alike. However, there's one big reveal from the sequel that has the fandom eager for the MCU's cosmic future - Brett Goldstein's arrival as Hercules.
Thor 4's first post-credits scenes officially introduced Goldstein as Marvel's Olympian god after the actor's impressive run as fan-favorite Roy Kent on Apple TV's Ted Lasso. With Russell Crowe's Zeus now on a furious mission for vengeance against Thor and the Asgardians, Goldstein is sure to have a bright future in the expanding Marvel Universe, even with no confirmation of when he will return.
Quickly after Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige first brought the idea of casting Goldstein to fruition, the MCU's newest addition became the latest successful round of casting from Phase 4. Now, Goldstein has shared his own thoughts about being a part of the Marvel Universe, adding another memorable role to his expanding resume.
Brett Goldstein on Joining the MCU
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Brett Goldstein shared his experience of joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Hercules in Thor: Love and Thunder.
At a recent event for Apple TV's Ted Lasso, Goldstein admitted that he was "very surprised" when he got the opportunity, noting how he kept the secret from everybody close to him:
"I didn't tell anyone. I didn't tell my family. They put a chip in me that would explode if I f---ing spoke about it. It was terrifying."
Goldstein also expressed his surprise to see such a positive reaction to his casting, but he remained mum on where Hercules may return in future MCU projects. He even compared his role as Marvel's Hercules to the leading character from Disney's 1997 animated Hercules movie, expressing a fair amount of confidence that there will be "less singing and dancing."
The actor's parents have even joined in the fun of his casting, with Goldstein revealing that his father "keeps calling himself Zeus," which he sees as a potentially funny issue moving forward:
Director Taika Waititi also shared his thoughts on the casting, although he kept the same secrecy as Goldstein about where Hercules may go in the future. Although the director didn't find out from Feige what may happen, he's excited to see where the Greek gods will go in upcoming movies:
“I can’t share much because that was all [Marvel Studios president] Kevin. Kevin was like, ‘Hercules? How about we ask Brett?’ Kevin keeps his cards close to his chest. I don’t wanna be like, ‘Where you going to go with this Hercules character?’ It’s pretty exciting to open up this world of Zeus and Hercules and the Greek gods.”
Brett Goldstein Ready to Develop as Hercules
Outside of its incredible run on Apple TV, Ted Lasso is making a surprising impact on the superhero movie genre as it moves into its third season, which could potentially be its last. Leading actor Jason Sudeikis is rumored to join the DC world in the upcoming Blue Beetle movie, and even sooner, Brett Goldstein broke the internet with his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Hercules.
While it's undoubtedly exciting to see Goldstein become the MCU's newest big-screen star, details remain a mystery regarding what the future may hold for the franchise's version of the Greek god. Goldstein himself admitted that he has no idea where or when he may come back, and even if he did, he's strictly adhering to Marvel's "no spoilers whatsoever" policy even when he does find out.
Considering what fans saw in his post-credits appearance, Goldstein's Hercules will likely be utilized as some kind of villain in his next appearance, with the potential to switch sides at some point later. But whatever that future may hold, Goldstein's prospects are incredibly bright as he embraces his new role in an ever-evolving Marvel universe.
Thor: Love and Thunder is now playing in theaters worldwide.
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