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Russell Crowe is officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and here is every character he could play in Thor: Love and Thunder. Chris Hemsworth's fourth solo MCU movie is shaping up to be the biggest one yet. With Taika Waititi back to direct, the film will continue the style and tone of Thor: Ragnarok. This will include bringing back characters from the last film, such as Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Korg, but Thor: Love and Thunder has a giant cast beyond them.
The movie features the returns of the main Guardians of the Galaxy members and former Thor franchise stars, such as Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander) and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) - who will become Mighty Thor. There is also the possibility that Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) and Heimdall (Idris Elba) will be back to round out the ensemble. But Thor: Love and Thunder will also see some major stars join the MCU. Christian Bale rejoined the superhero movie genre to play the film's villain Gorr the God Butcher, and Melissa McCarthy was spotted playing fake Hela for the Asgardian plays.
The latest casting announcement for Thor: Love and Thunder revealed Russell Crowe will appear. Details on his role are being kept under wraps as Marvel originally hoped to keep his involvement a secret. Without any clarity on how big of a role he plays or whether he's a villain or hero, there are plenty of characters Russell Crowe can play in the MCU. Here are some possibilities for his Thor: Love and Thunder role.
Beta Ray Bill
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Beta Ray Bill has long been expected to appear in Thor: Love and Thunder, but an actor has yet to be linked to the role. This could be due to the surprise nature of his appearance or the actor's involvement, such as Crowe. His commanding voice could be a great fit for the cosmic warrior worthy to wield Thor's hammer in the comics. This role wouldn't normally require Crowe to be in Australia to physically film his scenes, as he could provide only the voice for Beta Ray Bill. However, with Christian Bale presumably doing mo-cap work to play Gorr and Josh Brolin doing the same as Thanos in the past, perhaps Crowe wanted to be more involved in playing Beta Ray Bill.
Another Asgardian Actor
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Russell Crowe's secret role could also come as part of Asgard's plays and its star-studded ensemble. Thor: Ragnarok saw Matt Damon play fake Loki, Luke Hemsworth play fake Thor, and Sam Neill play fake Odin. All three of them are returning in Thor: Love and Thunder, along with Melissa McCarthy as fake Hela. Russell Crowe could be another Asgardian actor tasked with recreating a moment from Thor: Ragnarok. The set photos that revealed another Asgardian play didn't clarify what moment or moments Love and Thunder could parody.
There are several characters from Thor: Ragnarok that Crowe could play in the next Asgardian play. If the play covers the movie's third act, Crowe could potentially cameo as a fake Hulk or fake Surtur. This could give Crowe a chance to be more unrecognizable in his appearance, which could've made it easier to conceal at one point. There's even the chance the movie's play could extend into the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. That would open the door for Crowe to play anyone from Thanos to Eitri to Rocket Raccoon.
Balder Odinson
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Balder the Brave could be another excellent option for Russell Crowe to play in Thor: Love and Thunder. The half-brother of Thor has not been mentioned in the MCU to date. While the reveal of another secret sibling for Thor could make Love and Thunder feel like a bit of a retread of Ragnarok, Balder's role could be very different than Hela's. Balder has been the ruler of Asgard when it resides on Earth in the comics, so he could potentially be part of New Asgard's hierarchy. He also took over as the ruler of Hel in the comics recently, which could be a way for Balder to fit in Thor: Love and Thunder. With Hela presumably out of the picture, he could take control of Hel or all of Niflheim. There have long been rumors that the movie could visit the afterlife as Thor looks to bring back the Asgardians he couldn't save before. If that happens, Crowe would work tremendously well as an older/lost brother for Hemsworth's god of thunder.
Cul Borson
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Sticking with the familial possibilities of Crowe's mystery character, he could also be a fit for Odin's brother Cul Borson. He is known as the god of fear and has a wicked desire to rule over all. Cul conquered Earth centuries ago in the comics, when it was still known as Aesheim instead of Midgard, but was defeated by Odin. Cul was hidden beneath the ocean, and Odin slew his loyal followers. Thor: Love and Thunder could include Cul to have Valkyrie fight to rule New Asgard and add to the complicated history of Odin's family tree. A villain turn for Crowe would be great to see again, and it might open the door for the movie or Phase 4 to adapt the Fear Itself storyline from the comics. Cul also played a prominent role in Jason Aaron's War of the Realms storyline, and Aaron's work has already greatly influenced Waititi's time with the Thor franchise.