Marcus Richards
If an ancient Greek or Egyptian somehow got their hands on a time machine and transported themselves to 2022, they would be delighted to discover that their deities were still going strong thousands of years later. And rather than simply pray to them, they would find it impressive that they could now get close to them in games and films.
While modern religions may have moved on from the times of Amun-Ra and Zeus, they have immortalized these legendary gods and many more in entertainment. The question is, why are they so prevalent in mainstream culture to this day?
Gods are one of the Most Popular Themes in Slots
If you look through the slot game library at the online casino site from Paddy Power or a similar page, one of the first things you’ll notice is the abundance of games that use ancient gods as their theme. For example, there’s the Age of Gods series that encompasses a range of slot games and live dealer games. There are also titles based on Egyptian gods such as Eye of Horus, and options that use Norse religious themes like Gates of Valhalla.
There are various reasons players enjoy spinning the reels on slots with these themes. The titles can transport them back to simpler times when science hadn’t taken over the world and disproved all the theories about gods. These ancient divinities also had incredible powers, and these can be represented on the reels epically. For example, lightning bolts from Zeus or enormous waves created by Poseidon can be thrilling animations in slot games.
The Film Industry Has Profited Greatly from Ancient Deities
Our time-traveling member of an ancient civilization wouldn’t just gain pleasure from playing slots and other games. They’d also be able to spot plenty of references to their gods in the film industry. For years, Hollywood has profited from the stories told thousands of years ago, which are often just reimagined slightly for modern audiences.
Some of the biggest blockbusters of all time have been based on ancient Greek mythology. The half-god, Heracles, has often been portrayed in film, with filmmakers opting for the more commonly used Roman version of his name, Hercules. Sometimes, films that fail to include ancient gods can suffer. For instance, one of the major criticisms of Wolfgang Petersen’s disappointingly reviewed Troy in 2004 was the lack of gods, as they were considered so essential to the story.
Superheroes have often either been directly inspired by gods or have used their names. For example, the Marvel Cinematic Universe features the Norse gods of Thor and Loki, with the latter being one of the most popular characters, according to Collider. The more recent Eternals also takes a lot of inspiration from mythology, although it doesn’t explicitly mention any of the main names from those ancient times.
An ancient time traveler stuck in 2022 may be initially disappointed that people don’t still worship ancient deities. Then again, they may enjoy the fact that modern audiences have found a new way to appreciate them in films and games.
