Brett Goldstein only had two weeks to get into shape for 'Thor' post-credits cameo

Brett Goldstein has confessed that it took serious effort to get into shape for his post-credits cameo appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder, given he only had two weeks' notice.

The comedian and Ted Lasso star appears in the role of Hercules, sent by Russell Crowe's arrogant god Zeus to track down Thor after the hero impaled him with his own lightning bolt.

Read more: Best easter eggs and cameos in Thor: Love and Thunder

Goldstein had serious concerns about whether his appearance was suitable for the role of a Greek god — especially when Marvel told him how tight the schedule was before director Taika Waititi's shoot.

He told The Playlist: "When I spoke to Taika, I said: 'You know I'm basically like a skinny comedian? 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 … He doesn't have to be as big as Thor, does he?'

"And look, 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."

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He joked that it will be fine if he gets the chance to reprise the role because he is "going to eat 30 chickens a day from now on" just to make sure he's at his physical best.

Goldstein confessed that he thought the casting was "a wind-up" when he was told about it on a Zoom call with Marvel, adding that "it was as surprising to me as I think it has been to other people".

He added: "Taika Waititi’s f***ing brilliant, so it was like: 'I’m in the best hands possible'. But, it’s amazing. Who knows if anything will come of it, who knows, but it was a fun thing to do and I’m pleased that people seem to have enjoyed it."

Goldstein's Hercules is the latest high-profile Marvel cameo to pop up for a post-credits cameo, following Harry Styles as Eros in Eternals and Charlize Theron as Clea in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Read more: Recapping the history of Thor in the MCU

Thor: Love and Thunder marked Waititi's return to the Marvel fold after previously helming third Thor movie Ragnarok in 2017, with Natalie Portman back in the cast as a newly super-powered Jane Foster.

The film received mixed reviews from critics and is currently sat at a 65% approval rating on aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

Watch: Trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder