“Thor: Love and Thunder”The latest entry in Marvel Cinematic Universe is this film. It stays true to the long-standing traditions of Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the introduction of a character during the credits sequences.
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) continues to deal with uncertainty and malaise after 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. They team up to stop Gor the God Butcher (Christian Bale), from causing the world into chaos. 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).
Warning: Major spoiler alert! 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. Here, the gods of different cultures and religions congregate. Gorr the God Butcher has come to kill all deities he can so Thor goes to them to get their help. They laugh at Thor, and Zeus (played by an incredibly hammy Russell Crowe), orders his guards for them to be arrested. Of course, Thor and co. kill his minions, Thor steals Zeus’ lightning bolt, and sends it through his chest. Thor then takes the lightning bolt and flees Omnipotent City, causing a fair amount property damage.
You might think it’s easy enough, but isn’t it?
But not so quickly!
In the “Thor: Love and Thunder”Mid-credits scene: After Gorr is defeated and Thor has 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. Zeus is not mortally wounded but just annoyed. He assigns his son Hercules to find Thor and kill him.
For a split second, we see Hercules.
Who’s playing him?
Roy Kent himself, Brett Goldstein. He looks sexy, his abs are gleaming and he has a beautiful beard. He speaks two words, and is visible for around 20 seconds. But it’s him alright.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has made it a tradition to introduce a character in the credits scene. 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 is a trend that has continued into the more recent Marvel Studios films, such as “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” earlier this summer, which introduced Charlize Theron as Clea, Strange’s true love. Harry Styles came in “Eternals”Last year, as Starfox.
We don’t know when Hercules might appear next, or where. Hercules appeared for the first time in “Journey Into Mystery’s”Annual issue, October 1965. Hercules, a member the Avengers and a flesh-hungry Marvel Zombies over the years, was in an affair with Wolverine in an alternate universe. (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 are going to shake.
