Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Thor: Love and Thunder.
The long-awaited MCU entry Thor: Love and Thunder has hit screens, and its cast boasts some wildly diverse cameos, ranging from leading man Chris Hemsworth's own daughter India Rose Hemsworth to mainstream actors such as Matt Damon and Melissa McCarthy.
In addition to the once-mandatory Stan Lee cameo, the earliest Thor movies included reputed comic book maestros such as artist Walter “Walt” Simonson and writer J. Michael Straczynski. Now, the latest installment has gone on to incorporate Hemsworth's, Natalie Portman's and Taika Waititi's own children,
Jeremy Renner - Hawkeye
Before Hawkeye made his mark in the MCU and earned his own Disney+ original series, the marksman's debut was marked by an uncredited cameo in Thor. Even after S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Nick Fury secures the perimeter around Mjolnir, Thor still approaches his mythical hammer. This is when Hawkeye marks his entrance and prepares to take a shot.
The archer never lets go of the arrow, but it makes for an intriguing cameo to establishing the character within the larger context of the MCU. In a scene that lasts for just a few minutes, Jeremy Renner is evokes the character's no-nonsense attitude and his willingness to take direct orders without question.
Brett Goldstein - Hercules
Russel Crowe's take on Zeus in Love and Thunder can be seen as an extended cameo in itself. And if the movie didn't have enough adaptations of Greek myths and legends, Brett Goldstein also makes a brief appearance in a post-credits scene as his son, Hercules.
Not much is revealed through the cameo, but Ted Lasso fans might be rejoicing. Most famous for his role as that show's hot-headed footballer Roy Kent, Goldstein might suit an equally temperamental Hercules. In many ways, the cameo is like Harry Style's post-credits appearance in Eternals. There is a lot of potential for the MCU to further explore such characters.
Melissa McCarthy And Ben Falcone - Hela Actress And Stage Manager
As New Asgard turns into a tourist destination in Love and Thunder, the theater actors from the previous movie expand their business. This time around, the local troupe re-enact the events of Ragnarok with Melissa McCarthy joining in as Hela. Hilariously, she plays Cate Blanchett's character with a melodramatic flair and even destroys a prop hammer.
Interestingly, McCarthy's husband and actor Ben Falcone also appears in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment as the play's stage manager. Once the play is done, the cast and crew take a bow to the cheering audience. This is when Falcone sneaks in, standing beside McCarthy.
Walt Simonson - Asgardian At Feast
For those unacquainted with The Mighty Thor comics of the 1980s, Walt Simonson is the visionary who created the fan-favorite character Beta Ray Bill and wrote what is widely considered the book's best run. While Bill is yet to make an appearance in the MCU, Simonson himself made his MCU debut in the first Thor movie.
Simonson appears as one of the guests at an Asgardian banquet, seen smiling next to Sif. It doesn't add anything to the narrative, but it is a delight to see the acclaimed writer having a laugh in the first feature film adaptation of a character so close to his heart.
Elsa Pataky - Wolf Woman
Love and Thunder is quite a family affair for Chris Hemsworth given that his brother, daughter and wife make guest appearances. Actress Elsa Pataky appears as a Wolf Woman with whom Thor made love on a "woman wolf." The three end up howling at the moon as they're recounted in one of Korg's storytelling sessions.
It is pretty wholesome to see the duo act weirdly romantic in a seemingly silly cameo. It will still be interesting to go deeper into Thor's dating life and explore more wild adventures that Hemsworth and Pataky's characters might have had.
Chris Evans - Loki Disguised As Captain America
As Thor and Loki team up to escape from Asgard in The Dark World, the latter goes through a number of disguises. The shapeshifting god of mischief even takes the form of Captain America for a brief minute. The result is fascinating as audiences wouldn't usually see Chris Evans' take on Captain America in such a laid-back manner.
Evans does a pretty spot-on Loki impersonation, satirizing his own character and his overbearing sense of heroic patriotism. The cherry on the top is Evans remarking, "Costume's a bit much. So tight!" with a wry smile plastered on his face.
Matt Damon, Luke Hemsworth, Sam Neill - The Asgardian Players
When Taika Waititi lightened up Thor's world with Ragnarok, some unexpected stars were brought to screen. In an Asgardian play parodying the turbulent relationship between Odin and his two sons, Sam Neill, Matt Damon and Luke Hemsworth played the parts of Odin, Loki and Thor respectively.
While Sam Neill and Waititi had already collaborated on Hunt for the Wilderpeople, this cameo is also interesting given how Neill's Jurassic Park co-star Jeff Goldblum also joins the movie to play an eccentric supporting character. As for Hemsworth, the older brother of the Thor actor bears an uncanny resemblance to him that is brought out when he sports the superhero's costume. Meanwhile, Matt Damon's Shakespearean overacting suits the manipulative nature of Loki's antics.
J. Michael Straczynski - Truck Driver
In the late 2000s, Babylon 5 showrunner and renowned comic book writer J. Michael Straczynski experimented with Thor. In his run, he even ended up shifting Asgard to Oklahoma, much like Thor moving to New Mexico in the 2011 movie.
While contributing to the story, Straczynski also has a bit role in Kenneth Branagh's movie as a pick-up truck driver who attempts to lift the earliest version of Mjolnir. As Thor's hammer stays cemented on the ground in New Mexico, the driver gives his best before S.H.I.E.L.D. takes over the premises.
Stan Lee - Mental Ward Patient
In his lifetime, Stan Lee didn't leave any MCU movie without a cameo appearance. While he too appears as a truck driver alongside J. Michael Straczynski in Thor, the veteran comic book writer plays a mental ward patient in the sequel.
The buildup to the cameo is pretty scientific in nature as Erik Selvig breaks down the physics of the Nine Realms using a pair of shoes as dimension-hopping portals in his explanation. When it is revealed that he's in a ward for elderly and mentally unstable patients, Stan Lee's character ignores all the science and just asks for his shoes. The deadpan dialogue delivery makes it one of the best Stan Lee cameos in the MCU.
India Rose Hemsworth - Love
Right from the start of Love and Thunder, India Rose Hemsworth is introduced as Gorr's dying daughter Love. But the character gets new life (quite literally) when she is resurrected toward the end and her "Uncle Thor" acts as a guardian in Gorr's absence.
Cooking pancakes, wearing boots, and heading out for battle. With the real-life father-daughter duo of Chris and India Hemsworth doing all of this together, the movie amps up the cuteness factor with its ending.