Thor 4: First Look at Christian Bale as Marvel Villain Revealed by Set Photos

By Richard Nebens Updated:
Christian Bale, Thor: Love and Thunder Villain

While Marvel fans are still recovering from the mind-blowing Season 1 finale of Loki a few weeks ago, it won’t be long until the MCU’s Asgardians come back into play in Phase 4. The otherworldly beings will make their glorious return in 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder, which will be Chris Hemsworth’s fourth solo outing playing the God of Thunder.

Hemsworth will have an all-star team of supporting cast members behind him like Natalie Portman's Jane Foster, Jaimie Alexander's Lady Sif, the entire Guardians of the Galaxy roster and more. With the stakes and thrills this movie is set to bring, this team will need all the help it can get, especially going up against the primary antagonist Gorr the God Butcher.

Christian Bale, best known for playing Batman from Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, is set to play the parasitic villain; he's already regarded as one of the more terrifying big bads Marvel has put to screen. While there is still plenty of work left to bring him to life in post-production, fans recently got their first glimpse of the former Dark Knight on the MCU set.

FIRST LOOK AT CHRISTIAN BALE'S GORR

Gorr the God Butcher Marvel
Marvel

Daily Mail revealed the first images of Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher from Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder.

The actor was spotted on set for additional photography in Malibu, California, decked out in an all-white cloak with his face coated in white paint for shooting over the last week:

 

A CLEAN VILLAINOUS SLATE

Gorr Butcher
Marvel

While Marvel's post-production teams certainly have a tough task ahead of them once shooting finishes, these images confirm that Bale will have quite the terrifying foundation upon which Gorr the God Butcher will be built.

With some kind of white clothing covering every inch of Bale's body including his face, there's a chance his entire look could be created digitally after he acts everything out on set. The outfit may help serve somewhat like the CGI pajamas used by stars such as Mark Ruffalo and Josh Brolin, while also paying tribute to the pale white look Gorr has utilized through his comic history.

It's still a mystery as to exactly how much of Bale's villain will be made from live-action costuming and CGI.

Known as one of the first prominent symbiotes in Marvel Comics, Gorr has enough power to literally go on a god-killing spree, hence the "God Butcher" moniker. With Bale's persona helping bring the menacing antagonist to life in Thor: Love and Thunder, these images should act as the first signs of something huge coming to the MCU.

Thor: Love and Thunder will debut in theaters on May 6, 2022.

- In This Article: Thor: Love and Thunder
- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.