We can only imagine the Spoiler Alert alarms that are blaring around Marvel HQ, but then they probably should have been aware that once you cast Russell Crowe in your film, you unleash a force of nature that rarely conforms to such minor ideas as secrecy. The actor has reveled – on a morning breakfast radio show no less – who he's playing in Thor: Love And Thunder. SPOILER ALERT FOR ANYONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW...
Calling into Melbourne-based JOY Breakfast With The Murphys (hear him at this podcast link), Crowe talked up the fact that he was about to finish work on the film, or ready for "my last day of Zeusing about," as he put it, to the hosts' obvious excitement. Letting slip about him playing Zeus may not make him a favourite of his current MCU bosses, but co-writer/director Taika Waititi is probably giggling.
The arrival of Zeus in an MCU movie opens the door to the Olympians (yes, there are Greek gods in the comics, not just the Norse likes of Chris Hemsworth's hero) and a potential debut for Marvel's version of Hercules. Though it being a relatively small cameo, it's also possible Crowe will just be a fake-out funny character who pops in for a play (see below) and goes no further.
What we do officially know about the movie so far is that Natalie Portman is making her return to the MCU as Jane Foster, who will go on her own superheroic journey this time. Christian Bale is villain Gorr The God Butcher, while Waititi has Matt Damon once more playing his actor character from Thor: Ragnarok. He's apparently to be performing in a staged version of that film's story that will also features Melissa McCarthy as an actor playing Hela. And if that wasn't enough, some of the Guardians cast will show up, though likely more as a cameo than anything.
Thor: Love And Thunder will be out in May 2022.