Thor 4: Russell Crowe Reportedly Cast In Chris Hemsworth-Led Marvel Sequel

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Updated:
Russell Crowe Thor

It's no secret that Thor: Love and Thunder is one of the hotly anticipated MCU projects in the franchise's Phase 4 slate. Directed by Taika Waititi, the film will see the return of Chris Hemsworth as the God of Thunder as he will be reunited once again with Natalie Portman's Jane Foster . This time around, Jane will not be the usual damsel in distress in the film. Instead, the famous astrophysicist will pick up Mjolnir to become the Mighty Thor.

Aside from Jane's heroic transformation, plot details of Love and Thunder are still being kept under wraps, but it's all but confirmed that the film will have a surprisingly stacked cast. Alongside Hemsworth and Portman, several MCU veterans will join the narrative such as multiple members of the Guardians of the Galaxy like Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista, Jaimie Alexander's Sif , and the Queen of New Asgard, Valkyrie .

The MCU mainstays aren't the only ones included in Thor's next adventure. In previous months, numerous cast members have either been rumored or reported to appear in Love and Thunder , with A-listers like Melissa McCarthy and Matt Damon being included to portray Asgardian play actors.

This is on top of Jeff Goldblum's potential return as Grandmaster from Thor: Ragnarok . Adding to the massive list of cast members, it looks like another top actor will join the MCU film.

WELCOME TO THE MCU, RUSSELL CROWE!

Deadline shared in a report that Russell Crowe has joined the cast of Chris Hemsworth's Thor: Love and Thunder in an unknown role.

The outlet revealed that the hope was to surprise fans with Crowe's cameo during the film's release. However, Deadline confirmed the actor's involvement following recent photos of Crowe hanging out with the cast in Sydney, Australia.

In a separate report, The Hollywood Reporter shared that Crowe will only have a “small role” in the film.

RUSSELL CROWE'S SMALL ROLE IN THOR 4

The cast of Thor: Love and Thunder is insanely loaded, and the addition of Russell Crowe amplified that sentiment. At this stage, it remains to be seen how the veteran actor will fit into the narrative of the film, but his reported small role could mean that he will only be featured as a cameo.

Based on what's been revealed so far, the Asgardian play that was showcased in Ragnarok will likely have a re-run of sorts in the film, and this is the subplot that makes sense for Crowe's small role. With Matt Damon playing fake Loki and Luke Hemsworth portraying fake Thor, it's possible that Crowe could end up playing the Bro Thor version of the character from Endgame , potentially drawing laughs for the audience.

Given that New Asgard is set within the confines of Earth, there's a chance that the Asgardians managed to hire real-world actors to portray their powerful figures in the much-talked-about play, thus explaining why Crowe and the likes of Melissa McCarthy were involved. This is pure speculation, but this could be a clever addition from Taika Waititi's comedic antics.

On the flip side, given the star power of Crowe, the actor could still play an important Marvel character, and his minimal role could hint that he may be included in a post-credits sequence for Love and Thunder . As a result, it could set the stage for Crowe to return in a future MCU project down the line.

Regardless, Thor: Love and Thunder is shaping up to be an exciting adventure for Thor and his allies.

Thor: Love and Thunder is set to premiere on May 6, 2022.

- In This Article: Thor: Love and Thunder
- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.