This article contains SPOILERS.
Thor: Love and Thunder is a wild ride at the theater and features quite the assortment of gods throughout, especially when we arrive at Omnipotence City. There are gods mentioned from a variety of pantheons: Greek, Norse, Egyptian, Aztec, Mayan, and more. We get names like Ra and Quetzalcoatl mentioned, as well as seeing gods like Artemis and Bast in the background. Overall, there are far too many to count/name and put into a single article, especially while the film is still in theaters.
I decided that I would like to highlight the major gods that appear/speak in the film, along with the actors who play them. Each image will show the character or actor featured in Thor: Love and Thunder alongside how their god is typically portrayed in their respective mythology. I’ll also include some information about the god as well (for all of the mythology fans out there).
There will be spoilers for Thor: Love and Thunder at the end of the article, so if you haven’t seen the film yet, make sure to save this article and come back after you’ve seen the film!
Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth)
Chris Hemsworth has been playing the God of Thunder since 2011, but he isn’t the only actor to play Marvel’s version of Thor (Eric Allan Kramer played the part back in 1998’s The Incredible Hulk Returns). In Norse mythology, Thor falls in love with and marries Sif, something the MCU teased early on but Thor’s heart belongs to Dr. Jane Foster.
Valkyrie/Brunhild (Tessa Thompson)
Tessa Thompson swaggered her way into the MCU when she first appeared in Thor: Ragnarok in 2017. Valkyrie is based off of Brunhild in Norse mythology, where she is depicted as a shieldmaiden. In the Germanic tradition, she is also depicted as an Amazon-like queen in the Nibelungenlied.
Lady Sif (Jamie Alexander)
Jamie Alexander first appeared in the MCU alongside Chris Hemsworth back in 2011; she has since made appearances on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Thor: The Dark World, and Loki. It’s good she wasn’t in Thor: Ragnarok because we all saw what happened to the Warriors Three. As you can see, Sif is depicted with Golden Hair in Norse mythology, unlike Jamie Alexander’s dark hair in the MCU.
Zeus (Russell Crowe)
Russell Crowe makes his MCU debut in Thor: Love and Thunder, but it’s the second superhero dad he’s played after appearing in Man of Steel as Jor-El. Zeus is the King of the Gods in classic Greek mythology, along with being the God of the Sky and Thunder. He is also infamous for being involved with countless goddesses/women, resulting in many divine/heroic children.
Dionysus (Simon Russell Beale)
Simon Russell Beale plays Dionysus, the God of Wine and one of the many children of Zeus. This is the first time the character has appeared in the MCU. In Greek mythology, Dionysus is also the God of Fertility and Theater.
Also Read: Movies Directed By Taika Waititi, Ranked
Hercules (Brett Goldstein)
Brett Goldstein, a fan favorite for his award-winning performance in Ted Lasso, makes his MCU debut as the legendary Hercules during the first post-credit scene. In the comics, Hercules has been a member of various teams, including the Avengers. While he goes by Hercules, he is actually based on Heracles in Greek mythology (Hercules is the Roman name). Heracles is most known for his 12 Labors, which include slaying the Hydra and capturing Cerberus.
Heimdall (Idris Elba)
Idris Elba has portrayed Heimdall in the MCU since Thor in 2011, and the character makes a surprise return in Valhalla during the second post-credit scene. Heimdall in Norse mythology has been called the “whitest of the gods”, the exact opposite of his portrayal in the MCU. However, they both share the duties of guarding the Bifrost and predicting Ragnarok.
Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder (Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr)
Did you think we were going to make it to the end without our lovable, screaming goats? Of course not! Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder play an important role in Norse mythology, quite similar to the role they play in Thor: Love and Thunder. Much like in the film, they are the ones who pull Thor’s chariot through the sky in Norse mythology; it’s the sound of their hooves that is equated to the sound of thunder.
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