Brett Goldstein worried his Hercules would have to be as big as Thor

Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein has been discussing his brief cameo in Thor: Love and Thunder, saying that he had just two weeks to transform into Hercules.

Fans of Ted Lasso got a surprise at the end of Thor: Love and Thunder when Brett Goldstein – who plays footballer Roy Kent on the show – appeared in a post-credit-sting.

Goldstein plays Hercules, and is set up as a potential protagonist for Thor by his father Zeus, played by Russell Crowe.

But Goldstein didn’t have long to get in shape, as he was offered the role just a couple of weeks before Thor: Love and Thunder shot.

Getting the Thor Love and Thunder call from Marvel

Speaking to The Playlist, Goldstein explained that he was told people from Marvel would be calling him over Zoom.

He said: “They go on Zoom and they just told me what you see in the film, which is they sort of opened with, ‘So Russell Crowe is Zeus,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, OK, go on.’ And blah, blah, blah.

“Then they turn around and they reveal, ‘It’s Hercules; it’s you.’ And I went, ‘What?’ Just like, ‘Are you serious? Are you f**king with me? Is this a wind-up?’ So yeah, it was as surprising to me as I think it has been to other people.”

Brett Goldstein had two weeks to prep for Hercules

Goldstein told director Taika Waititi, “You know I’m basically like a skinny comedian,” and asked when they were planning to shoot the scene.

“It was like in two weeks,” Goldstein explained. “I was like, ‘I mean, I’ll do my best, but two weeks feels… he doesn’t have to be as big as Thor, does he?’

“On the day, I mean, I’m doing 400 push-ups that day. I was fit to explode. I did the best I could on that day.”

Will Hercules return in a Thor sequel?

Since Thor: Love and Thunder first screened, fans have been asking if the cameo is just a joke, or if the character really will battle the God of Thunder in a future film. Goldstein didn’t know when the movie came out, and still isn’t sure.

“I’m not in charge of what they’re doing or what they want to do,” he said.

“Who knows if anything will come of it… but it was a fun thing to do and I’m pleased that people seem to have enjoyed it.”

If it does happen however, he’s staying in shape, with Goldstein joking: “I’m going to eat 30 chickens a day from now on; it will be fine.”