Love and Thunder: Russell Crowe’s Role Teased by Director
Thor: Love and Thunder is full of some old and new characters from the MCU. The forthcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel will get back Chris Hemsworth’s hero for his fourth adventure, and the Avenger will also be joined by an ensemble of allies, like the Guardians of the Galaxy, Miek, Korg, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and Natalie Portman’s Thor. There is one more ally to Thor – the confirmed debut of Zeus (Russell Crowe).
The news of Crowe’s inclusion in the MCU was initially spotted in set photos, which eventually went on to make headlines as Deadline had reported on his involvement. Russell Crowe then later confirmed his role in the MCU, even revealing that he’s portraying Zeus in the film.
Now, the movie’s director has come forward to share details about Crowe’s much-anticipated MCU debut.
Russell Crowe’s MCU Debut
While appearing in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Taika Waititi opened up about Russell Crowe’s role as Zeus and the upcoming movie.
While being very secretive about Crowe’s debut, Waititi revealed that Crowe portrays the character in “a way you’ve never seen Russell before:”
“I consider Russell a friend, and I forget that there are some friends I have who are really incredible at what they do. When I was on set with Russell, I was like, ‘Oh shit, that’s right! You’re Russell Crowe! You’re a really amazing actor!'”
The teaser for Thor: Love and Thunder also featured a look at Zeus:
Waititi had also shared that he wanted Thor to explore a more unexpected territory, stating that he “needed to do something more interesting” for himself:
“What I didn’t want to do is just make Ragnarok again, because that’s been done. I needed to do something more interesting for myself to keep the whole thing ignited and to make sure that I’m feeling creatively stimulated. I thought, What’s the least expected thing with this franchise?”
Thor had a journey between the events of Infinity War and Endgame, with the character grappling with self-doubt and guilt after he couldn’t Thanos. The movie, as Waititi had teased, will deal with “universal themes about love and loss and our place in the world,” with the hero at the center of it all:
“Ragnarok felt a bit like a party. It was quite festive. This one is still fun, and it’s got moments of being over the top, but thematically, it’s about something a bit deeper than the last film. It’s not a serious film, and it’s not a drama, but we do deal with ideas that I think a lot of humans deal with — universal themes about love and loss and our place in the world. Everyone sort of asks this question in the film: What is your purpose? What is the reason that you’re a hero, and what do you do when you have these powers?”
How Zeus Fits in Love and Thunder
While Zeus’ role in the movie is still quite unknown, director Taika Waititi’s comments tease that the actor might have quite a significant role in the film or a glorified cameo.
Given the inclusion of Gorr the God Butcher, there’s a possibility that Zeus might bite the dust at a point in the film. But if Zeus did survive, it’s quite possible that he would team up with Mighty Thor and Thor to defeat the Christian Bale’s villain. After all, Zeus happens to be the most powerful god in the entire Greek mythology.
Thor: Love and Thunder will hit the theaters on July 8.
