Thor: Love and Thunder isn't just one of the most anticipated Marvel movies — it's also one of the most star-studded ones as well. Russell Crowe is the latest big name to join the cast of Taika Waititi's next Thor movie, though his role is currently kept secret.
This report comes from Deadline, which notes that "Insiders say Crowe is one of many surprises to come out of the film," though it's not much of a surprise anymore. Crowe joins other leaked big names for the movie, including Matt Damon (reprising his cameo from Thor: Ragnarok) and Melissa McCarthy in a TBA role. That said, we've already got a fistful of ideas of who Crowe may be playing and we think it's going to be someone from Avengers: Endgame.
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As was the case with Damon, Waititi loves to bring in big name actors to play small, humorous roles in the recap scenes. For example, in Thor: Ragnarok, the people of Asgard (currently displaced) re-enact the events of previous Marvel movies. And this is a perfect place to plop Crowe, to help recap the events of Endgame, the last movie Thor was in.
It's a cunning way to help the Thor movies stand out, while also giving us chuckles from big name actors in peculiar parts. Matt Damon played an actor cast as Loki in Ragnarok, and it appears that Melissa McCarthy is going to be playing Hela Odinsdottir, Thor's half sister.
And for the last piece of the puzzle, take a look at this photo of Crowe alongside many of his Thor: Love and Thunder co-stars attending a South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby game on March 26 at the Stadium Australia:
We know that special effects and makeup teams can get a lot done, but Crowe's aesthetic here is practically screaming out for him to be portraying the bearded version of Thor in Endgame. You know, the Thor who had packed on some grief weight and was locked in online battle against someone with the gamer tag noobmaster69. Side note: can we reveal that gamer to have somehow been Loki, time-travelling in the Loki TV show? Please.
That said, Crowe could easily stand in for Josh Brolin as Thanos, as Inverse speculated. Other potential Endgame-recap roles tossed around the Tom's Guide Slack include the smarter and sociable Hulk, Star-Lord or Drax. Those last two are less likely, but still seem possible.
And while Crowe's role could have nothing to do with the likely Endgame recap, it seems more likely for his role to be a humorous cameo if we're learning about it at this stage of production, and not earlier on. The principal casting — Natalie Portman as Jane Foster (who will get Thor powers) and Christian Bale (as the main villain) have long been known.
Thor: Love and Thunder is set to hit theaters on May 6, 2022.
