If there’s one small thing that stood out for fans in Thor: Love and Thunder, it’s Russell Crowe’s unexpected goofiness as the Greek god Zeus. Who would have thought that an all-powerful supreme leader of all gods would act in such a way?
Marvel fans particularly pinpointed this as a criticism in portraying the character. The comic version of Zeus was far from silly, but since the actor claims it is Taika Waititi’s movie, they fashioned him after its lighthearted tone.
Russell Crowe On Playing Zeus In Thor: Love and Thunder
In an interview with GQ, actor Russell Crowe gave his two cents on the tragic fate of Sony’s Madame Web as a failed superhero franchise. He specifically reacted to Dakota Johnson’s statement where the actress expressed her disappointment in joining the superhero world.
I haven’t had a bad experience. I mean [on Thor], OK, it’s a Marvel movie, but it’s Taika Waititi’s world, and it was just a gas every day, being silly.
The actor surely had fun on the set of Thor after he embodied the goofy version of Zeus and not the stoic and serious one. “These are jobs. You know: Here’s your role, play the role,” the actor preached before adding, “If you’re expecting this to be some kind of life-changing event, I just think you’re here for the wrong reasons.”
His statement somehow gives the impression that he was in it for the fun, and there’s nothing wrong with loving the experience. But, Zeus was only a minor character, and they chose to present him in the opposite way.
Similarly, Natalie Portman told Disney via The Direct how fun it was to see Crowe play Zeus and “have such a great sense of humor with the character.” The Jane Foster star argued that she is “used to him in these very strong, heroic roles, so it was fun to see him be able to let loose.”
Since Zeus is normally portrayed as a serious god, Taika Waititi and Crowe probably experimented on him and thought why not make the character as fun as the film? Thor 4, however, ended up getting criticized for its exaggerated comedy.
Marvel Comics’ Zeus Was Never Silly
Zeus, in the comics, possesses immense power that makes him quite stoic and serious. In the source material, the Olympian god does not even have a drop of comedian blood as he is often presented as someone to be feared and respected. In short, Zeus was never a punchline or comedic relief in Marvel Comics.
In fact, with his massive strength and force, he was able to single-handedly defeat the Hulk. Note that he did not even wield his lightning bolt but manually beat the green monster through a fistfight. This is how Zeus should have been portrayed in the movies, but of course, “it’s Taika Waititi’s world.”
Even the director admitted via Movie Special Book that “the comic run is very serious” and he wants “a lot of humor” in his movies, so he was torn between doing drama and comedy. In the end, Zeus became the receiving end of laughter and criticisms.
Thor: Love and Thunder is available to watch on Disney+.
