First of all… SPOILERS. Obviously. I mean, it’s in the bloody title. We’re going to be explaining what happens in the post-credits tags of Thor: Love and Thunder. So don’t go whining on Twitter if you’ve not yet seen the movie, found yourself here, and kept on reading. (We know this sounds like it should be common sense, but you have no idea how many people click through the link, read an article like this, and then proceed to get angry at us.)
So, once again, SPOILERS. You have been sufficiently warned.
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There are two (that’s right, two!) extra scenes after everything is done and dusted in Thor: Love and Thunder. The first is a mid-credits tag and the second is a shorter one right at the very end.
The Mid-Credits Tag
Zeus is not dead! No, that lightning bolt merely incapacitated him briefly by leaving a massive hole in his chest. (Besides, we figured it would be too much of a stretch for Thor to have killed the chief of all Greek deities.)
The scene begins with Russell Crow’s Zeus, his harem of women nursing him back to health, monologging to someone off screen about how the Gods get no respect. Zeus then issues a challenge for this individual to take down The Mighty Thor. The camera then pans over to reveal that it is his son, Hercules, played by none other than Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein!
First appearing in 1965 in Journey into Mystery Annual #1, Hercules was introduced as a rival to The Mighty Thor. (There was a Golden Age version who appeared in 1945’s Young Allies #16, but the character that we’re following in the current Marvel continuity was the one introduced in 1965.) Starting off as a frequent guest star in the Thor comic (they obviously become allies), Hercules is a staple in the Marvel Universe, with a long and storied history. He’s been an Avenger. He’s dated Black Widow. He joined Captain America in Civil War. He’s fought alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy.
With the introduction of Hercules it appears that Kevin Feige seems to be digging deep into the greater pantheon of Marvel’s back catalogue in order to round out the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There have been no announcements with regards to how Hercules will feature in upcoming movies or TV shows, but just we’re giddy at the thought of a team-up with Kit Harrington’s Black Knight.
Note: This is the second Ted Lasso regular to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first being Christo “Fútbol’ Is Life” Fernández who showed up in the Spider-Man: No Way Home post-credit tag as the bartender who may or may not have been infected by a leftover bit of the Venom symbiote.
The Post-Credits Tag
This second tag feels like more of a cute aside.
Given that Jane Foster’s The Mighty Thor died heroically in battle, it should naturally follow that she would end up in the Asgardian afterlife of Valhalla. The scene opens with Natalie Portman’s Jane standing at the gates to the afterlife, where she is welcomed by none other than Idris Elba himself who, as Heimdall, also met a noble end in battle at the hands of Thanos (see: Avengers: Infinity War).
In the comics, Jane Foster’s time in Valhalla was somewhat short lived as she was eventually revived by both Odin and Thor. (No one really ever stays dead in comics!) After coming back to life, she no longer had Mjolnir’s power to transform her, and so she focused her attention on getting chemotherapy instead.
We call this a cute aside because Valhalla in the MCU feels like the place that all the actors who want out get relegated to. (Idris Elba hasn’t always been keen on his role as Heimdall. And it seems like Natalie Portman could only be convinced to come back this one time.)
In all seriousness, however, this tag was probably conceived as a sort of sweet farewell epilogue to both Natalie Portman and Idris Elba and their time in the MCU. (Jane was barely mentioned in Thor: Ragnarok and her “appearance” in Avengers: Endgame was just Natalie Portman doing some voice over work. Heimdall’s death in Avengers: Infinity War was also Incredibly underwhelming and far less than what the character deserved.)
Note: Jane Foster is only one of a handful of mortals who were deemed worthy of entering Valhalla despite not believing in the Asgardian religion. The others include Frank Castle (The Punisher) and Flash Thompson (Agent Venom, Agent Anti-Venom).
Will Thor Return?
As always, the last thing we see on screen, in true James Bond fashion, are the words “Thor Will Return.”
We don’t know when. We don’t know where. No further Thor movies have yet been announced. Neither has there been any news about Hemsworth cameoing the character in future MCU movies. (In an interview with Deadline, Hemsworth has said that he loves playing the character and will continue to do so until “someone says get off the stage.”)
That said, this movie clearly sets up the idea that there can be plenty of other incarnations of Thor (Jane Foster, all of those Asgardian kids at the end of the movie, etc.) and paves the way for many different stories to be told in the future. With or without Hemsworth.
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