“Thor: Love and Thunder” is the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it stays close to time honored traditions of the MCU including, of course, introducing a new character during one of the credits sequences.
This time around Thor (Chris Hemsworth, once again) is dealing with uncertainty and malaise following the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” Emotionally adrift and hanging with the Guardians of the Galaxy (including Chris Pratt’s Star Lord), he soon gets the shock of his life – not only is his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) back in his life, but she also now wields the power of Thor. Together, they team up to stop the evil Gor the God Butcher (Christian Bale) from sending the universe into chaos. You know, the usual. But it’s what happens after this classic Thor adventure that we’ll be discussing today, specifically the first post-credits sequence (more of a mid-credits sequence really).
Major spoiler warning! Turn back if you haven’t seen the movie yet!
At about the movie’s midpoint, Thor, Jane and the rest of the gang (including Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie and Taika Waititi’s Korg) visit a place called Omnipotent City. This is where the gods of various cultures and religions all hang out. Thor is there to ask for help from them, since Gorr the God Butcher is coming to kill every deity he can. They shrug Thor off and Zeus (played by an incredibly hammy Russell Crowe) orders his guards to apprehend them. Of course, Thor and co. kill his minions, Thor steals Zeus’ lightning bolt, and sends it through his chest. Thor then steals the lightning bolt and leaves Omnipotent City in a hurry, doing a fair amount of property damage in the process.
Seems simple enough right?
But not so fast!
In the “Thor: Love and Thunder” mid-credits scene, after Gorr has been vanquished and Thor has had a happy ending, we return to Omnipotent City.
Apparently, the weird sword Gorr controls is one of the only ways to kill a god and Thor’s whole lightning-bolt-through-the-chest routine didn’t do much damage. Instead of being mortally wounded, Zeus is just very annoyed. And he tasks his son, Hercules, to track down Thor and kill him.
We see Hercules for a split second.
And who is playing him?
Roy Kent himself, Brett Goldstein. He is looking chiseled as hell, abs glistening, with a very lovely beard. He says two words and is on screen for probably 20 seconds. But it’s him alright.
Introducing a character in a credits scene has become a hallmark of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The very first post-credits scene introduced the world to Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson), a character that wasn’t actually in the rest of “Iron Man.” This has continued through to more recent Marvel Studios movies, like “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” earlier this summer, which introduced Charlize Theron as Clea, Strange’s true love. Then there was Harry Styles in “Eternals” last year as Starfox.
Who knows when Hercules will pop up next and where. Hercules first appeared in “Journey Into Mystery’s” annual issue in October 1965. Over the years, Hercules has been a member of the superhero team the Avengers, been one of the flesh-hungry Marvel Zombies and, in an alternate universe, is in a relationship with Wolverine. (So there’s that!)
One thing is for sure for the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Hercules: when he and Thor come to blows, it’ll be an epic throwdown of sweaty, god-versus-god intensity. Truly, the heavens will shake.