Cinematic Engineering: Hercules in the MCU

We've seen a variety of Marvel Comic's characters brought into the MCU. It all started with Iron Man and Robert Downy Jr.'s ever amazing performance as the playboy weapon's developer turned power-armored superhero. Now we've had nearly 10 years of expansion and we're continuing on with new faces and new stories to tell. In my opinion, we should look upon a hero that's been a long-standing member of the Avengers but is more renown for the myths and legends that inspired his creation. I'm talking of the most iconic hero of Greek mythology:

Hercules

Yes, Marvel's own take on the demigod son of Zeus, I believe, would make for an interesting path for the MCU to take. As we've been tapping much from the stories of Thor and Asgard, we're inevitably going to need to give it a rest. There's dozens of other stories for us to look upon, and I feel that Olympus and its gods have several stories to tell. Now, let's answer the essential questions:

What Does Hercules Bring To The MCU?

An obvious question. What does Hercules bring to the MCU? There are dozens of other Marvel characters to bring to the big screen, so why bring in Hercules? Well, it's more than just the core character we'd be bringing. We'd also be introducing the Olympians, the Gods of Greek Mythology! Zeus, Hera, Athena, Ares, Hades, and many more would be part of an already expansive universe. Not only those, but we'd also see the many enemies of Hercules, from the golden son of Ares Kyknos and the Minotaur to the monstrous Typhon and the titan Cronos. We've seen what the mythologies of Thor and the Asgardians can provide, and though another Thor movie is planned towards the end of the next Phase, there's only so much we can take from a land that's just lost it's homeland.

Even bigger than the introduction of the Olympians would be the introduction of other gods beyond Greek and Norse mythology. Though no group has ever been more prominent the Olympians and the Asgardians, there is still many pantheons we can glimps upon. More importantly, we can look at the more unusual entities out there. There is the Elder Gods, consisting of the pure Oshtur and Gaea and the corrupted Chthon and Set. There're the various Lord of Hell, from the iconic Mephisto to the more biblical Satan and Lucifer. There are gods of various alien races, including the Skrulls. There's the ever powerful Celestials, who's powers far exceed the combined might of all the pantheons. Lastly, there's the vicious Amatsu-Mikaboshi, better known as the Chaos King. Simply put, there's a WHOLE lot of stuff that we can introduce to the MCU. Not everything at once, of coarse, but we can introduce people to a taste of what the universe is really housing.

Would Hercules Be Just Another White Dude?

Ah, equality. The superhero-movie industry has largely been supportive of white males heroes. Sure, we get our occasional Wonder Woman and Black Panther movies, as well as Blade and Captain Marvel, but most of these flicks feature white dudes; Superman, Batman, Spider-man, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the list goes on. Now, how can Hercules come out without being just another white dude?

Well, to start, Hercules is typically associated with Greece, but there's little information on what Hercules' race or ethnicity really is. As the 2014 Hercules film showed, we can get a good Hercules from a man that's not himself white (not saying the film was anything great, but Dwayne Johnson did a pretty damn good job as Hercules). A man of mixed race would be fine. Still, I believe that Marvel Studios isn't going to go extreme with their actor's race, so we may still have yet another white guy.

However, there's one that can make Hercules different from almost every other superhero in the MCU: Hercules can easily be bisexual. You heard me right. Looking through mythology, we can see Hercules as a bisexual entity, having relationships with various individuals of both sexes. In the 2010 "Hercules: Fall of an Avenger" #1, it's implied that the male superhero Northstar may have been a past lover of Hercules, making a major mark on Marvel comic's. In addition, in the X-Treme X-Men series, Hercules and James Howllet (basically Wolverine) shared a homosexual romance.

Now, Marvel Comic's editor-in-chief Axel Alonso had implied that that Hercules is predominantly strait in responds to a question of Hercules' bisexuality and of X-Tream X-Men's presentation of Hercules and Howllet (which, honestly, was a mistake). However, I feel this is something that can be changed; if Marvel Studios has the choice of the matter, they should take the progressive route and give us a queer character.

How Strong Should Hercules Be?

It makes sense that people want to know how strong Hercules should be in the scope of the MCU. We have Thor and the Hulk, and according to Marvel Studios, Captain Marvel is being introduced as "the strongest superhero they've ever introduced." So, how strong should Hercules be in comparison?

Well, the one thing to remind people is that Hercules is, in fact, the God of Strength. He is the deity of raw strength and is unmatched by anyone, not even by his father Zeus. In truth, Hercules should be unmatched when it comes to shear strength. No amount of lighting, gamma radiation, or alien DNA can allow you to match the literal God of Strength in a match of muscle.

Now, he's the strongest, but that doesn't make everyone else unimportant. Thor has power over natural storms, the Hulk's power grows with his anger, and Captain Marvel has the power of flight and energy absorption. As such, Hercules doesn't make people any less significant, Besides, I don't think his story should end with him saving the day completely on his own.

Who Would Play Him?

An extremely good question. Much like Thor, the idea of finding an actor that could even remotely like Hercules seems impossible to my imagination; the man is a powerful specimen of a man, whose very presence can swoon women, and possibly other men. The actor would need to be big, muscular, good looking, and have a great beard.

Well, some people on the internet have already thought of who could play Hercules, and many of them say Joe Manganiello. At 6'5" and a hunk of man meat, Joe has the appearance to pull off Hercules. Currently, he's licensed with Warner Brother's to portray Slade Wilson/Deathstroke, but if they're able to snag him away for a bit, he could portray a great Hercules.

Another good actor to portray Hercules would be Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. He's portrayed Hercules in the 2014 Hercules movie, and despite the films hefty flaws, he gave a memorable performance for the mythical hero. Besides, he's a hulking man of muscle and charisma; he can easily portray the mythic hero.

Who Would The Badguy Be?

With every new character introduced to the MCU typically have a villain that has a connection to the hero; nobody is ever a random villain. So, for Hercules, who'd be his first movie villain? Well, there's a bundle of options:

Cronos: The Lead Villain

The Titan Cronos is the father of the Olympian Gods we know of them now. He was overthrown by his own children, lead by his youngest son Zeus, and was imprisoned in Tartarus, a region of Hades fit for real nasty individuals.

I feel Cronos could make for a good starting villain. He, as a character, can represent a past power attempting to hold control through force, whether they're competent or not. This can relate to various modern governments, including ours. For the most part, I see him not being known being the villain, as he's disguised himself as Zeus through magic. Though he's not known for this power, it's possible that he's aided by another villain with such powers.

Ares: The Rival

Ares, the God of War, has been an enemy and rival of Hercules. Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera, and thus the half-brother of Hercules. In addition, he lives to create war and violence. Unlike his good hearted and sophisticated sister Athena, Ares cares little for peace or honor, just bloodshed. He's cocky, he loves to fight, and he can be both funny and scary at times.

While I don't think he should be the big bad, I do feel he should be an antagonistic character. Perhaps He's contacted by some individuals after Hercules, who comes down to where Herc's at and give him a "Welcome Back" beating... or at least attempt to. To make him more interesting, perhaps he's forced to assist his brother and their brethren in battling the real bad guy.

Some interesting aspects to note would be his history of starting wars, especually for an older time period. If set in the 60's, he may have swayed militiary minds to develop the Vietnam War. Why? Because he's Ares! He lives for war!

Eris: The Bad Girl

Eris is the Goddess of Discord and Strife. While a minor character in the comics, she is the companion and lover (and sister) of Ares and is known to cause havoc upon the world along side him. She is best known for throwing down the apple to be given to "the fairest one," which lead to the the Judgement of Paris, which itself started the Trojan War.

I can see Eris as the lover and partner-in-crime of Ares, tagging along with him when he's enlisted to help capture Hercules. She can also be presented as a dangerous combatant on her own, casting bad luck and chaos upon her enemies. It would also be interesting to make her may hardly the most reliable; discord isn't predictable.

Cephalus, the Huntsman: The Lead Henchman

Cephalus is name that appears a couple times in mythology and just as few in the comics. Cephalus, also known as the Huntsman, is Zeus' personal huntsman an has been sent down by Zeus to track down and retrieve Hercules on a number of occations. While he's gifted by Zeus with superhuman tracking skills, the majority of his power stems from his magical staff, most recognized is the power to summon monsters of Greek mythology to serve him as minions.

Though he's not interesting enough to hold his own as a major villain, I can see him as a minor villain, serving the real villain in capturing Hercules. He can create a bundle of creatures to provide a quick but cool fight for the heroes.

Kratos and Bia: The Super-Thugs

Kratos (Not this guy) and Bia are two minor gods that had brief appearances in the comics. Both are personifications; Kratos is "Power" and Bia is "Force". The two have served under the Olympians throughout their appearances and participate in various conflicts relating to Hercules. They are most loyal to Zeus, meaning that they're enemies when Zeus is your enemy but allies when Zeus is your ally.

As minor as these two are, having these two as powerhouses would really show how dangerous the Olympians are. In the comics, the two were able to restrain Typhon (after taking a beating but still dangerous) and were successful in capturing Hercules from the Avengers. In a movie, the two could be sent by Zeus, or Chronos in disguise, to retrieve Hercules from Earth, proving to be a dangerous combo. Perhaps when the two work together, such as restraining a single target or doing a combo attack, they create a near-unstoppable force or unbreakable hold that nobody could break through, save for Hercules (he's the God of Strength, after all).

A side note, in the original myth, Bia is actually female, so in a movie, they could have Kratos portrayed as a male and Bia as a female. The fact that the two are equal to each other and almost unstoppable together really says something.

Titans: The Army

The Titans are the children of Elder Earth Goddess Gaea and Primordial-Sky God Ouranos and predecessors of the Olympian gods. After Cronos killed Ouranos and became the new Skyfather, the Titans were the surpreme rulers until Zeus and the Olympian gods rose up, leading to the Titanmancy. There was a fission in loyalty among the titans, with some supporting Cronos' rule while others sided with the Olympians. Those who sided with Cronos either fled into hiding or were imprisoned in Tartarus. Those who sided with the Olympians enjoyed life on Olympus or Earth and stayed in friendly relations with the gods.

As an group of hostile beings that could match the Olympians in brute strength, it's fitting to have them as the villain's army, especually if Cronos is the main villain. I can see them surpassing several of the younger gods while they're unarmed, but struggle to stop the combined efforts of more combative gods, such as Hercules, Athena and Ares.

Amora the Enchantress: The Real Mastermind

Amora is not an Olympian goddess, but rather, an Asgardian goddess. She has been a major foe for Thor and the Avengers for years. With an approach more like Loki, the Enchantress prefers to be non-physical and manipulate those who oppose her, using her wit and charm. Oh, and her sexuality. NEVER forget her sexuality!

Now, the question you're asking is "Why am I including an Asgardain as a possible villain?" Well, the Enchantress was the reason why Hercules came down to Earth in the comics; she charmed him and sent him down to battle the Avengers, which ended when the team was able to end the enchantment placed upon him. As such, it's quite fitting to have the Enchantress the reason why Hercules fell from Olympus in the first place. Likewise, she may be the secret drive with the discord occurring on Mount Olympus, using Cronos to garnish power for herself. She may not be entirely identified until the post credits, but she can be hinted across the film.

What Other Characters Are There?

This surely can't purely be a story between Hercules and his enemy! There's got to be other characters, with the potential of being worth-while characters. Well, here's a quick listing of a few characters connected to the God of Strength himself:

Athena

Athena is the Olympian goddess of Wisdom and Tactics, a beautiful and honorable contrast to her brother Ares. Fitting to her mythological counterpart, Athena is one of the few gods on Olympus that isn't a complete asshole. She's wise and respectful but is strong and steadfast when she needs to be. In the comics, she tends to be a mighty partner to Hercules in great conflicts, whether it's against invading pantheons or battling among their fellow Olympians. However, when you go deeper, you can see that she isn't so pure...

Having a female goddess that's a baddass would be a great for a Hercules movie. As Wonder Woman and Black Panther had shown, strong female characters are great to have. Athena would be a major ally to Hercules and even come to save him at a point.

Hebe

Hebe is the Goddess of Youth and the primary provider of Ambrosia. Though a relatively minor goddess in mythology, she is unique as she's the wife of Hercules after his ascension to Olympus. She is extremely loyal and loving to Hercules, despite his philandering . Even after the two separated, she still loves the hero and would happily let him back into her life. If only Hercules knew he was missing out... Oh, and she can kick ass, too.

For a movie, having Hebe would be interesting if done right. She can be done as both soft and strong, having a side of her that loves Hercules throughout his lustful times, but will fight hard to protect what she cares for.

If she were to appear in future films, I would love if they implement her Beanie Baby collection. It would be cute and funny.

Hera

Hera is the wife and sister (yes, more Olympian incest) of Zeus and the queen of the Olympian gods. On her own, Hera is a powerful being, to be feared by many. She isn't always villainous, but she has frequently been antagonistic towards Hercules, especially as he's a product of Zeus' promiscuity.

Though I don't see her as a beginning villain, I can see her as an initially antagonistic one; she's always hated Hercules and desired him dead since the day he was born. However, she also recognizes that there's greater threats than him and is more likely to cooperate with him if the situation needs them to. Afterwards, she can happily return to hating him.

Zeus

How can we have a Hercules movie and not have Zeus? He's not only the demigod's father, but he's also the lead deity and Sky Father of the Olympians! He's been running Olympus since he and his brethren took it away from Cronos and the Titans. Unlike Odin, who was wise and honorable, Zeus can be a bit of a dick with a lust for women and a nasty temper. Whether a good leader or not, Zeus is a powerful being not to be trifled with; in the comics, he was able to give the Hulk a swift, humiliating defeat like it was nothing.

Interestingly, my idea is to use him in the background for the most part as a prisoner; if Cronos were to return to Olympus, he would most certainly have Zeus removed. However, he may want to keep Zeus alive so as to keep divination magic from sensing Zeus' demise, while using his own magic (or the magic of another) to disguise himself as Zeus and not be discovered. In the final fight, we can have Zeus be released and join his fellow gods in battling Cronos.

Prometheus

Prometheus is a Titan that sided with Zeus during the Titanmancy, and was tasked with creating mankind. He created them (or helped them evolve into humanity) but desired them to survive, so he stole the sacred flame of Olympus and gave it to humanity. Zeus punished him for this and had him chained to the mountainside and have his liver eaten continuously. Despite this, Prometheus' efforts allowed humanity to survive and worship the gods. His torture would end when Hercules came to him for advice, and seeing the torment Prometheus has been enduring, freed the titan from his bonds.

Prometheus, though a little less than exciting, would work well as a means to help Hercules become accustomed to the modern world, especially to a world that will deny him many things despite his godly status. Otherwise, realistically, Hercules would simply cause a grand amount of chaos in New York. It makes sense for Prometheus to help Hercules, as Hercules had freed him long ago from his punishment.

Perhaps he resides on Earth as a professor, possibly teaching evolutionary science. I can also see him as a possible socialist (non public, that is), as his ideals of life are about supporting people as a whole.

Pluto

Hades, better known as Pluto, is the Olympian God of the Underworld and the supreme master of Hades, his domain within Hell. He is one of the three primary deities of Greek Mythology, along side his brothers Zeus and Poseidon. Though he's more concern about his domain than Olympus or Earth, Hades is still a very sinister being. He displays a disdain for several of his brethren, especially Hercules.

Despite this, I feel Pluto should be treated as his own individual rather than as the antagonist. Perhaps he can provide a presence as a being outside the main conflict, perhaps an individual who can influence the outcome.

Like many powerful Hell Lords, Pluto is typically most powerful within his own domain. Powerful beings like Zeus, Hercules and Cronos hold little power against Pluto while in Hades. This can be used as a means to defeat the big-bad; Hercules might have to make a deal with Pluto to release him long enough for Herc to grab a hold of the villain and have Pluto pull both of them down to Hades, where Pluto imprisons the villain in Tartardes and keep as a trophy.

Apollo & Artemis

Apollo and Artemis are twin gods. Apollo is the God of Light and the Sun, while Artemis is Goddess of Hunting and the Moon. Both are known for their master skills with the bow, but Artemis' mastery with the bow makes Hawkeye look like a chump. Apollo rides around on his sun chariot and can manipulate solar energies in various ways, while Artemis has a magical bow and a selection of enchanted arrows and can manipulate lunar energies to fit her needs.

I see these two as close allies to Athena and Hercules, helping the former in finding the latter. I can see some unique sibling interactions between the two and have them be fun and badass at the same time.

Hephaestus

Hephaestus is the God of fire and metal, and the armor and weapon smith of the Olympians. His craftsmanship with metal is virtually unmatched, capable of creating nearly anything, including automatons. He primarily works with Adamantine, the metal of the gods.

Though Hephaestus may not be a major individual on the screen, he can be an important individual for the plot; Perhaps the main villain, while under the guise of Zeus, is forcing Hephaestus to craft an army of automaton soldiers, crafted from adamantine, to use in conquest. For a clever twist, perhaps Hephaestus is wary of following fake Zeus and willing to create his own means of controlling the automaton army.

Other Olympians and Titans

If we're featuring Hercules and the presence of Olympus, it's resonable that we're going to feature some of the other Olympians that reside on earth. There's Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty (also REALLY hot); Demeter, Goddess of Seasons; Dionysus, God of Wine (and PARTY! WOO!); Hephaestus, God of Fire and Metal; Hermes, Messenger of the Gods; Persephone, Goddess of Spring and wife of Pluto; Poseidon, God of the Sea; Rhea, mother of the Gods; and several titans and titanesses that sided with the Olympians. We may not have room for ALL of them, but we could squeeze in a few.

Poseidon

Poseidon is the God of Water and The Sea and one of the three primary gods of Greek Mythology. His power over the waters is unmatched and the power he wields can put almost any Sorcerer Supreme to shame. In the comics, he's most recognized as the patron deity of Atlantis, as well as guiding Namor himself to collect Poseidon's own Trident, as proof of Namor's right to rule.

As powerful as Poseidon is, I don't know if he'd fit into the film itself. He's not at all a villain but his concerns are of the seas and oceans of the universe, which is a major responsibility for him. However, accounting his presence in the MCU would create an opening to present the Atlantians, and give way to the introduction of Namor.

Taylor Madison

In the comics, Taylor Madison isn't a real woman; she is an artificial being that Zeus manifested so as to unfold a plot by Hera against Hercules. Not only was she a woman that Hercules had the hots for, but was one who Hercules actually swore off other woman for. When Zeus revealed her to not be real, it really devastated Hercules.

For a Hercules movie, I would want to use the name of Taylor Madison for a more human character and serve as one of Hercules' first and closest mortal friends. Though I can see Hercules trying to flirt with her, I'd also she her as one to resist his advancements, staying as friends for the most part.

The Ancient One and the Masters of the Mystic Arts

As we've seen in Doctor Strange, the Masters of the Mystic Arts are an order of sorcerers dedicated to combating mystic threats, while keeping the mystic world hidden from the world. The leader of this group is The Sorceress Supreme known only as The Ancient One. No one knows how old she is, but she has been guiding the many sorcerers to becoming masters.

I would like to have mysticism be kept with the Olympian gods rather than simply labeling them as "aliens," like they did with Thor. With that, it makes sense that the Ancient One and the order would put effort into keeping Hercules and other Olympians in check.

Where Would The Movie Be Set?

Like other films revolving around inter-dimensional entities, we're going to have to have several locations to be acted upon. Some places are obvious and neccisary, while others are not as neccisary but could be interesting if used right. Here are the primary locations:

Olympus

Home to the Olympians themselves, Olympus is a realm ruled by Zeus. It was originally the home of the titans but after the great Titanmancy, the Olympian gods became its new owners. In the comics, it's a small "pocket" dimension adjacent to Earth, but I can see it much like the MCU's take on Asgard, as "planet" that's more like a planetary island/city. It has several Halls dedicated to the various gods, including the forges of Hephaestus. It also has its own portal chamber that allows for interstellar travel, similar to the Bifrost of Asgard, with it's primary gateway on Earth atop Mount Olympus.

It's obvious that Olympus has to appear at some point in the film. It IS the domain of the Gods. Much like in Thor, we have to see the motions of Olympus and how they can affect our hero.

Brooklyn, New York City

Brooklyn, New York City, wasn't always associated with the character of Hercules. It's more so the fact when he lost his powers after the Chaos Wars, where he moved to Brooklyn to work as a bartender and continue his hero work through the us of various magical items. In the MCU, Brooklyn is largely utilized for Peggy Carter in Marvel's Agent Carter and is the home of Captain America. Other than that, I feel having Hercules' movie be primarily set in Brooklyn would work, especually as we can see some Captain America imagery and form parallels between mythological heroes and modern superheroes.

Hades

Hades is Pluto's domain in the Underworld. There, he's master and watches over the souls of the damned. The primary locations of Hades is Elysium and Tartarus. Elysium is the "heaven" of Greek mythology, an endless place where souls are free and at peace. Tartarus is more akin to Hell and home to the enemies of the gods, including several of the Titans that fought the gods, as well as a few gods and demigods damned by Zeus and other gods.

It would be interesting to have Hercules be dragged down to Hades by Pluto when Herc is the closest to the domain (such as within the Mirror Dimension). From this, Hercules is forced to make a deal with Pluto.

Mirror Dimension

If we're to introduce the Ancient One, then we can implement the Mirror Dimension. The Mirror Dimension can easily be used to keep a thrash-down between Ares and Hercules to a minimum. In addition, it's possible that the Mirror Dimension is closer to the realm of Hades, allowing Pluto to pull Hercules down to Hades to get some payback against the son of Zeus.

When Would The Movie Take Place?

For most characters, we set them in modern times. It makes it easier for the timeline and for the production. Only a few work within the past. For Captain America, it had to be during WWII as it was the era of his creation, as a hero that beats the crap out of Nazis. For Wonder Woman, having her movie set in WWI worked as it gave us a morally gray war that contrasted Diana's romanticized view on war and her black-and-white view on good and evil. Having Captain Marvel set in the 90's... is so that we can explain why some random-ass character that's apparently doing nothing for over 20-some years is important and we should care about her. Yeah, I have no interest in her.

So, when should a Hercules movie be set in? We can set in in the modern day and tell of how Hercules is being introduced to the modern world, but that starts to run a path similar to Thor. We can set his movie in the age of mythology, but we'd be falling into the path of retelling his mythological exploits. I desire a time that's not now but not the ancient past. So, where do we set him in?

Well, in my opinion, we set him in... the 1960's. Hear me out: The 60's was a MASSIVE time for Hercules. It was the era when his Marvel comic's iteration of Hercules was first introduced. The mythological character was also huge in the 60's, as there was several Italian films telling of the demigod's exploits. To me, the 60's was identifying for the hero.

In addition, the 60's was a major era for comics, especially for Marvel. It was the era that created Spiderman,Thor, The Hulk, the Avengers,  the Fantastic Four, The X-Men, and countless other heroes that we know and love from Marvel. The 60's was also an major time for events, from the second feminist movement and civil rights movement under Martin Luther King Jr., as well as being the primary time of the Vietnam War.

Lastly, the 60's is an exceptionally unused era for the MCU. Other than the births for certain characters, very little is utilized for this era, making it open for a character like Hercules to do stuff. It's rather sad such an influence era for Marvel is skipped over by a film franchise derived from the comics.

Now, the bigger question people have is "If Hercules is such a powerful being, would people know of him in the 1960's?" Well, the same way he's only a myth in ancient times; it could be explained that, in ancient times, Hercules' presence on Earth was wiped from the memories of mankind by Mnemosyne, Goddess of Memory, but the Muses, goddess of art and literature, still immortalize his influence through inspiring story tellers to tell of his exploits. This is why Hercules was such an important figure in Greek Mythology but never seen as a real figure. The same can happen when Hercules must return to Olympus, leading to Mnemosyne to wipe away the memory of him but the Muses continue his impact. If asked, Mnemosyne may explain that "Men of history are controversial. Men of myth are inspirational." When one looks at the true history of the American Revolution, we find that the men and women of liberty were not so great and righteous as they really are, but the myths and stories of them were created to inspire future generations. By this ideal, man won't remember the hero but will be inspired.

How Does The Story Go?

I do have an idea on how to do this story, though I can see it be done in another way. This is the way I see it being told:

The film starts with a narration on the history of the Olympians, telling of Zeus and his godly brethren overthrowing their father Cronos, establishing their own pantheon and their exploits upon the Earth. It then moves to the story of Hercules, the demigod son of Zeus and most renown hero of history. After some telling of his life and his assention to godhood, we get to the main story.

Hercules awakens in a craters, on the outskirts of Brooklyn in New York City, NY, in the 1960's. He has no memory of how he got to Earth or why he's here at all. Traversing through the city, he isfound by Prometheus, who guides Hercules away from violent confrontations (for the safety of people are try to fight Hercules). Through that, they are able to get a better understanding of the situation. Meanwhile, on Olympus, Zeus is taking a more totalitarian control over the gods, to the point of imprisoning many of the gods, sealing off the portal to other worlds and commanding Hephaestus to craft an army of automatons. Athena's powers of divination are being blocked, keeping her from finding answers.

While on Earth, Hercules makes a number of new mortal friends, including a young woman named Taylor Madison, who Hercules attempts to flirt with. He has a number of "fish out of water" interactions with the world, particularly in understanding the politics of the 1960's (Vietnam War, Civil Rights movement).

On Olympus, the Gateways of Olympus have been disabled, isolating Olympus from the rest of the world. Athena decides to go down to Earth with a couple ally gods to find Hercules, including Apollo, Artemis and Hebe. At the same time, Zeus has sent down some individuals to track down and retrieve Hercules by force: Cephalus, Kratos and Bia. Hercules later performs a feat of superhuman strength and resilience that saved many innocent lives (such as holding up a collapsing building so that innocent people can escape, or beating down a monstrous enemy, like or his old enemy Achelous), leading to Athena and the others to find him.

Cephalus is able to locate Hercules but finds that he's with other gods, forcing him and his compatriots to find aid in a god who'd been banished from Earth for a long time: Ares, along with his lover Eris. It's implied that Ares has been working on Earth, causing a variety of conflicts and wars; he's getting one heck of a kick with the Vietnam War. When informed by the Huntsman that Hercules is on Earth and is wanted by the Gods, Ares agrees to help them, just so that can beat the sh*t out of Hercules.

For a bit, we get backstory on the relationships of Hercules and the various other gods, especially his relationship with Hebe and find out that Hebe is Hercules' wife.

Hercules, Athena and company are guided to an old friend of hers: The Ancient One. The Ancient One is hesitant at first in entering the affairs of the Olympians, but recognizes that the situation is dire for both Olympus AND Earth. Through magical divination, they discover that Zeus himself is not in charge, instead another being is parading as the King of the Olympians.

At that moment, Ares, Eris, Cephalus, Kratos, and Bia have arrived, with full intent on apprehending Hercules and bringing him back to Olympus. The Gods and sorcerers fight, with the Huntsman conjuring monsters to aid him, Ares rushes through many of the gods, and the combo maneuvers of Kratos and Bia are practically unstoppable. The two soon get Hercules in a double-arm-lock, as energy radiates from them as their hold becomes unbreakable. Despite their power, Hercules is able to break the hold with his limitless strength. Ares sees this as his opportunity to best his rival in mortal combat. The battle ever destructively breaks into the streets, leaving Ares to pull out a weapon he's been dying to try out: a Davy-Crockett Tactical Nuke Launcher, which he fires into Hercules at point blank. Thankfully, The Ancient One is able to pull them into the Mirror Dimension before he fired, stopping an excessive amount of damage and allowing Hercules to get his second wind and overtake Ares.

After Ares' defeat, Hercules is pulled by an unknown force out of the Mirror Dimension, into the pits of Hades. He is soon face to face with Hades/Pluto, who has finally gotten his hands on Hercules and judge him for his crimes against Hades; Breaking into his domain, stealing his helm and his guard-dog Cerberus, freeing Theseus from his bounds, and worst of them all, leaving without repercussions. With this, Hades has decided that he will be his prisoner in Tartarus for all of eternity. However, Hercules gives warning that someone is parading as Zeus and they must stop him... which Pluto begins to probe Hercules' mind, uncovering that Hercules was compelled a mysterious force to begin smashing on a point in the center of Olympus, which Zeus attempted to stop but was too late. The location was where Zeus and the gods imprisoned Cronos, as they lacked the power to force him into Tartarus. With that, Hercules requests of Pluto to give him freedom to reach Olympus and fix the damage he caused, pointing out that Persephone, Pluto's wife, is among gods imprisoned by Cronos. If Pluto allows him to return to the Earth, he will return Pluto's helmet, free Persephone and bring Cronos down to Hades as a new prisoner. Pluto accepts his request and gives him a limited amount of time to complete what he needs to complete.

While on Earth, Athena, the Ancient One and the remaining gods leave the Mirror Dimension and are concerning what to do when they're interrupted by the arrival of Hera. She informs them what Cronos had been released and had been parading as Zeus; she discovered this when she found Hercules' mace in the spot that Cronos was imprisoned within Olympus, and she fled before the Titan could imprison her. She has Ares, Eris, the Huntsman, Kratos, and Bia released, as she invokes command over them. Athena tells Hera of Hercules being captured by Pluto, which the Queen states that it's none of her concern; they are to retreat to a new home away from the Titan's activity. She will only allow them to go out and fight if Hercules were to return to Earth and request to help them in bringing down Cronos. At that point, Hercules is thrown from the Underworld and back upon Earth, requesting that he join them in bringing down Cronos.

Before taking to Olympus, Hercules notes that they need some extra gear and suggests they go to Ares' collection of enchanted armor and weapons he collected over the millennia. These items include the Shield of Perseus, the Sword of Peleus, the Namean Lion's pelt, and the Helm of Hades. Hera then gives Hercules his mace, which was found in Cronos' crypt. Frome there, the gods (minus Hera, who won't participate in fighting) then travel to Olympus to confront Cronos and the Titans. On Olympus, Cronos mocks his son and gloats with his return to power, while an unknown individual whispers in his ear.

Soon after, the gates of Olympus are broken down by Hercules, as his fellow gods, come forth to fight the Titans, while Hebe (with the helm of Hades) sneaks by to collect weapons, free the imprisoned gods, and arm them to aid in the fight. Hercules, Athena and Ares are able to reach the throne room, where Cronos attempts to activate the automoton army. To his surprise, Hephestus had implemented his own fail safe (as he suspected that he was working for a false Zeus) and the army instead fights the titans. Cronos refuses to surrender and battles all of the gods, including a weakened Zeus that Hebe was able to free, and an projection of Hera's will in the form of a spectral peacock. The Gods are unable to fully stop the full power of Cronos until Hercules collects the helm of Hades from Hebe. She recognizes a marking on his arm, signifying that he has limit time and will be pulled back into Hades. Hercules knows this, and putting Cronos in a hold, lets his time run out, leading to him and Cronos being dragged down by Pluto's will to Hades.

In Pluto's thrown room, Cronos is chained by Pluto and imprisoned in Tartarus. Hercules is just as quickly chained by Pluto as well, declaring that he will imprison the hero as they agreed. While the titans are being marched down to Hades through the portals of Olympus, Persephone returns to her husband as he judges upon Hercules. Persephone begs him to reconsider, at least allow Hercules to instead reside on the fields of Elysium, the more peaceful part of Hades. Though resistance, Pluto allows this and sends Hercules to spend the rest of his immortal life in Elysium.

On Earth, the memory of Hercules has been wiped from the memories of mankind save for a minuscule few, just like after his first leaving, but the inspiration he left remains in their minds; there comes a rise in fascination in Hercules and an interest in heroes of the superhuman kind. There is also a rise in protests for freedom and rights. Taylor is one of the few who remember Hercules, immortalizing him through a "fantasy" novel recalling her time with an ancient god in the modern age. Likewise, Hercules' act of amendment and defeating Cronos for good is commended by several of the gods, leading to Athena and Hebe to work on a means to help in releasing Hercules.

In a mid-credit, we're shown Athena and Hera arguing in front of Zeus about what to do about Hercules' imprisonment, with Athena believing that they must work to release him while Hera believes Hercules must remain for releasing Cronos. When requesting Zeus' guidance, he noted that, when he confronted Hercules in his smashing of Cronos' crypt, Zeus sense that Hercules was under some kind of spell, an enchantment; he also saw the same enchantment in the eyes of Cronos. At the same time, we're shown a woman going to a signing of Taylor's novel, telling that she loved the story, asking how she came up with the story: When Taylor asks for a name to sign it to, the woman gives her name as Amora and leaves with her signed book.

As a possible post-credit sequence, we can return to modern times with some scuba-divers, exploring a hefty bundle of sunken German subs from WWII. While looking at them, they notice imprints on the subs fitting to that of human hands, as if a human being had punched and ripped these subs apart with his or her bare hands. This would be build up to another hero from olden times: Namor.

What Does It All Mean?

All stories have an ultimate message in them, even in the silliest ones. Some can be easily explained. Others are far more difficult to discern. For a character like Hercules, it shouldn't be something great an in depth, yet something that works underlying it all. For me, a Marvel Hercules movie should do the same as the stories and myths of old: Inspire.

Hercules' time on Earth had an inspirational effect on many people, creating a new interest in the character and in superheros in general. Likewise, his influence has promoted people to become more courageous in their stances (though not necessarily in their actions; things would get more violent).

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What are your thoughts in all of this? Comment below on what you think.