Zeus In Thor: Love & Thunder: How Do Greek Gods Exist In The MCU?

The long-awaited reveal of Russell Crowe’s Zeus in the Thor: Love and Thunder trailer raises questions about how the Greek gods exist in the MCU. Before it was confirmed that Crowe would be playing the character in Thor’s next movie, there was never any proof that the Greek gods were anything more than mythological figures in Marvel’s world. But if Zeus is a real person, it stands to reason that several of them – if not all of them – are out there somewhere as well.

The release of the Thor: Love and Thunder trailer has offered some big teases about Thor’s next adventure. The majority of the trailer’s footage relates to his adventures with the Guardians of the Galaxy and Korg. It also highlights Natalie Portman’s Mighty Thor character. It notably steered clear of Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher, but it did at least show off Zeus, albeit only for a second. A shot of the character from the back at the 0:52 mark showed him holding up one of his iconic thunderbolts and greeting a large audience. The trailer doesn’t outright confirm it, but it’s likely that what’s being shown here is the grand city of Olympus, the secret home of the Greek gods. No other clues were offered about their role in the story, but it’s heavily suspected that he and his people will fit into Gorr’s crusade against the gods.

How it’s possible for the Greek gods to work as MCU characters in Thor: Love and Thunder can be explained by the source material. It was established as early as the 1960s that the Asgardians aren’t the only super-powered beings who were once worshipped as gods and goddesses on Earth. Similar to the situation with Odin, Thor and the other Asgardians, Zeus and his people were observed by the ancient humans, who perceived them to be gods. The same backstory was applied to multiple races of superhuman warriors based on cultural myths. There’s no reason why the Asgardians have to be the only ones with this origin in the comics, and it’s become apparent that the MCU is using the same idea for its own gods.

Zeus catches a lightning bolt above his head

It's worth noting that ahead of Zeus’ debut, Marvel already proved that this concept is a part of the MCU. In Moon Knight, Marvel revealed that the Egyptian gods are real too. In a way, their introduction foreshadowed the Zeus reveal in Thor: Love and Thunder and essentially made it possible for numerous pantheons to exist in the MCU. Just as it in the comics, it’s now possible that the Mayan, Incan, Japanese, Irish, and Chinese gods have a secret headquarters somewhere in Marvel’s cinematic world. Any of them could wind up being victims of Gorr the God Butcher’s killing spree.

Even without the other pantheons, the introduction of Zeus lays the foundation for several Marvel characters to eventually appear, whether it be in Thor: Love and Thunder or a totally different MCU project. Several Greek gods were utilized as heroes and villains in Marvel Comics, such as Hercules, Ares, Typhon, and more. As a major Avenger from the comics, Hercules is the strongest candidate for a future MCU role, but he’s far from the only one. The vast amount of stories associated with Greek mythology provides the MCU with a ton of storytelling potential.

Next: Thor: Love & Thunder Trailer Breakdown: Every Reveal & Secret