While the Son of Odin may be looking to retire, as seen in the first trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder, Gorr the God Butcher could get in the way of an ideal hero replacing Thor going forward in the MCU. Played by Christian Bale, Gorr is one of Thor's most dangerous foes—a being who came into immense power while holding a massive vendetta against all gods in the universe. Seeing as how Love and Thunder is set to introduce Olympus and the Greek gods, the possibility exists that none other than Hercules could be murdered before he's truly given a chance to debut in the MCU.
The new Thor: Love and Thunder trailer sees the titular Asgardian deciding to become a pacifist, planting his mighty ax Stormbreaker in the ground as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery. However, subsequent shots see Thor wearing brand new Asgardian armor with Stormbreaker in hand, indicating that a new mission and threat has brought him out of his retirement. Featuring a shot straight out of the Thor comics where Gorr made his first debut, it looks as though the villain's quest to kill the gods will indeed begin, having killed a large cosmic god creature whose remains are discovered by Thor and Korg. Naturally, this doesn't bode well for the new pantheon of Greek gods being introduced in the upcoming Marvel film.
That being said, casting reports and the new Love and Thunder trailer have only confirmed that Zeus will be played by Russell Crowe. While the ruler of the Greek gods is the only known deity who will be making an appearance, it would be exciting to see his son Hercules as well, the demi-god of legend who exists in the comics canon as the Hero of Heroes and Prince of Power. Given his multiple similarities to Thor as a rival turned ally, one might hope he'd be set up in Love and Thunder as a new godly Avenger going forward. However, Gorr the God Butcher has his name for a reason, one that could spell disaster for the Son of Zeus.
The origins of Hercules in Marvel Comics are virtually the same as those in Greek/Roman myth, having been born a demi-god to Zeus and the mortal Alcmena of Thebes. However, Hercules would eventually gain full godhood following his classic Twelve Labors from legend. A true immortal, the first Marvel hero Hercules faced was Thor himself and the God of Strength would often clash with the God of Thunder long before they eventually became allies. Fighting with the Greek Resistance in WWII, Hercules would also become drinking buddies with Wolverine.
Despite a constant conflict with his father Zeus over his love for humanity (not unlike Thor and his father Odin), Hercules would end up joining the Avengers for a time in the modern era, as well as various other teams such as the original Champions and even the Heroes for Hire. Hercules is currently a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy in Marvel comics, having joined their ranks following the resurrection of his godly family who became the Dark Olympians. All in all, it's not hard to see why Hercules would be a strong candidate to replace Thor in the MCU should the Son of Odin make his exit following Love and Thunder.
As seen in the new Thor: Love and Thunder trailer, the Greek pantheon of gods will be introduced in the MCU. Not only is Thor seen visiting what looks to be Olympus, but Russell Crowe's Zeus is featured standing before a large crowd as he addresses his kingdom. The Greek gods will be the third pantheon to be introduced in the MCU following the Asgardians and the new Egyptian Ennead featured in Moon Knight. However, there's been few details revealed about any other Greek gods who may be revealed in the upcoming Marvel film, let alone Zeus' son Hercules. While it could be due to the God of Strength already being on Earth and working to be a hero against his father's wishes, it's also possible that something more sinister and tragic could be afoot. After all, Thor: Love and Thunder is also Gorr the God Butcher's debut in the MCU.
Seeing as how the MCU will be introducing Natalie Portman's Mighty Thor in Love and Thunder, a Hercules debut with the intent to replace the original Thor seems less likely. While the particulars of Jane Foster's return are still unknown, who better to replace Thor than the Mighty Thor? After all, Jane's new ability to wield Mjolnir did see her replacing the Son of Odin shortly after his victory over Gorr in the comics. While the Greek God of Strength could still be introduced at some point, it probably wouldn't be as direct of a role where he replaces Thor, especially if Jane's Thor sticks around in the MCU post-Love and Thunder. However, Hercules' days may be already numbered.
Although the idea of Hercules becoming a long-term MCU hero is exciting, his murder by Gorr's hand would be an extreme way to legitimize how big of a threat the God Butcher truly is, immediately raising the stakes while motivating a tragic reason for Zeus and Olympus' involvement in the next Thor film. Killing giant cosmic god-creatures isn't nearly as tragic or personal as murdering Hercules would undoubtedly be, as his prevalence in other media depictions would still make him recognizable to audiences despite his lack of an MCU presence thus far. Likewise, Hercules' status as one of the best and most heroic Greek gods the pantheon has to offer would make his death even worse, proving just how sinister Gorr's dark vendetta truly is as he seeks revenge against all deities after his own gods ignored his prayers to save his family.
While Hercules would be the most undeserving of Gorr's retribution compared to the other Greek gods, it would certainly elevate the God Butcher as one of the MCU's biggest and darkest villains. Gorr could very well end up killing Zeus in Thor: Love and Thunder, though killing Hercules would be far more tragic and more compelling—and also avoids retreading on the familiar territory of Thor losing his own father, mother, sister, and brother. By sacrificing the potential for an ongoing new hero in the MCU, Marvel could make an extremely dark and dynamic villain in Gorr who could truly live up to his name as a God Butcher. At any rate, fans will just have to wait and see what Thor: Love and Thunder has to offer when it comes to theaters on July 8th.
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