Don't worry, Brett Goldstein is trying to get more Marvel jacked

The Ted Lasso actor only found out about his new role two weeks before shooting

By Katie Chow  |  August 12, 2022 | 5:06pm
Aux News Brett Goldstein
Don't worry, Brett Goldstein is trying to get more Marvel jacked
Brett Goldstein Photo: Emma McIntyre

[This post contains spoilers for Thor: Love And Thunder]

Every new entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe can’t wrap up without a hint at what’s next, and Thor: Love And Thunder was no exception. The latest movie in the franchise saw the return of Natalie Portman as Jane Foster after she and the Asgardian god parted ways before the events of Thor: Ragnarok, but it also introduced a notable new face: Brett Goldstein as Hercules.

After Thor, Jane, and Valkyrie left a path of destruction in their wake in Omnipotence City, Zeus (Russell Crowe) charges his son with pursuing revenge in a post-credits sequence. This promises that we’ll be seeing Hercules again, but some viewers thought that his first appearance could have been more impressive, finding the Ted Lasso actor a bit too svelte for a Greco-Roman god in a series known for flaunting bulging biceps and washboard abs, amongst other body parts.

It turns out that there’s a good reason why Goldstein didn’t hit the gym more: he only found out about his new role two weeks before shooting his cameo. In a new interview with The Playlist, the fast-rising comedy star shared more details about getting the gig.

“Yeah, when I spoke to [director Taika Waititi], I said, ‘You know I’m basically like a skinny comedian?’” Goldstein recalls. “I said, ‘When is this filming?’ It was like in two weeks, and I was like, ‘I mean, I’ll do my best, but two weeks feels…’ I said, ‘He doesn’t have to be as big as Thor, does he?’ And look, on the day, I mean, I’m doing 400 pushups that day. I was fit to explode. I did the best I could on that day, yeah.”

Of course, Goldstein’s most famous role is a professional athlete, so he’s probably selling himself a little short, and there’s also a limit as to how much an actual human can resemble a comic book hero.

“I’m going to eat 30 chickens a day from now on; it will be fine,” he continues.

Goldstein won an Emmy for Ted Lasso last year and is nominated again this year. The first two seasons of Ted Lasso are now streaming on Apple TV+, with the third and final installment now in production.

 
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