Russell Crowe's mystery role in Thor: Love and Thunder revealed, and he's a legit Greek god

The Greek pantheon is about to get a new master and commander — at least in the Marvel universe populated by the Norse Gods of Asgard. After sending good-natured shockwaves through all of MCU fandom with a teased mystery role in Thor: Love and Thunder last month, Russell Crowe has reportedly thunder-struck a deal to officially enter the Marvel movie canon as Zeus, father of the Olympian gods.

Crowe jovially revealed his previously-secret role this week on the JOY Breakfast with The Murphys radio show in his native Australia. Though he framed his involvement with tongue-in-cheek flair, Entertainment Weekly reports that it’s seemingly legit — though there’s no way to know whether his appearance will be brief as lightning, or more substantial along the lines of Jeff Goldblum’s fun turn as the Grandmaster in Thor: Ragnarok.

“Now, I'm gonna get on my bicycle, I'm gonna ride up to Disney-Fox studios... and ‘round about 9:15, I shall be Zeus in Thor 4,” Crowe told his radio hosts as he prepared to exit his interview. “It's my last day of Zeus-ing about.”

However large or small Crowe’s role is in Love and Thunder, it’s his first entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe — and it comes in partnership with a director who knows a thing or two about brewing up the perfect comedic storm by pitting the gods against each other. Director Taika Waititi eked an eternity of hilarity from the fraternal tension between Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in Thor: Ragnarok, to say nothing of Thor’s silly run-ins with ancient powers like Surtur.

Crowe's arrival at the top of Mt. Olympus will come alongside a star cast that also includes the return of Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, the key Guardians of the Galaxy cast including Chris Pratt (Peter Quill) and Dave Bautista (Drax the Destroyer), as well as Christian Bale as the movie’s main villain. With Goldblum’s Grandmaster also apparently set to return as the giddy granter of gladiatorial bread and circuses, will Love and Thunder find a way to deliver an Easter egg callout to Crowe’s Oscar-winning turn in Ridley Scott’s 2000 Best Picture winner Gladiator?

Only time will tell — but when you’re the beautiful divine mind behind the entire Greek pantheon, time’s something you’ve certainly got plenty of. Thor: Love and Thunder is set to bolt into theaters on May 6 of 2022.