After much anticipation, the teaser for Chris Hemsworth’s Thor: Love and Thunder is finally here. The footage showed off Thor in his new duds, the Guardians back in action, Jane Foster’s Thor, and King Valkyrie. There was one big missing element, however: Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher. The big bad of the movie was nowhere to be found, nor any antagonist at all.
Some of his handiwork may have made it in, but the Necrosword-wielding foe didn’t even lend as much as a line of dialogue to the trailer. The only proper look that the fans have gotten of the villain to this day comes from some older set photos and newer glimpses of Love and Thunder merchandise.
While the teaser trailer may not have had any new Gorr content, at least the official synopsis of the project itself does. In this case, it's teased that the villain's motives will be fairly aligned with what they are in the source material.
Thor 4 Villain Teased in New Synopsis
After the release of the new Thor: Love and Thunder trailer, Marvel Studios released an official synopsis for the film. In it, the role of Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher was mentioned.
Marvel noted how Gorr the God Butcher will interrupt Thor’s attempt at retirement, thanks to his goal to bring “extinction [to] the gods:”
“A new trailer and poster are now available for Marvel Studios’ 'Thor: Love and Thunder,' offering long-awaited clues to what’s in store for the God of Thunder. The film finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late. Directed by Waititi ('Thor: Ragnarok,' 'Jojo Rabbit') and produced by Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum, 'Thor: Love and Thunder' opens in theaters July 8, 2022.”
Christian Bale’s Gorr Arrives
It would have been strange for Marvel Studios to adapt Gorr the God Butcher and not follow suit with his intentions of wiping out all of the Gods. So it’s good to see that the plan remains faithful.
What’s interesting about Gorr in the MCU is how little these Gods have actually had a focus in the storyline up to this point; Love and Thunder will have to do a lot of work in introducing more of their kind in the upcoming picture. This is something that Marvel Studios already seems to have made great strides in, seeing as fans can spot their first look at Russell Crowe’s Zeus and Olympia as a whole in the first footage.
When it comes to the Gods themselves, Moon Knight is pretty focused on their Egyptian brethren right now—could audiences see Gorr strike there first? It would make sense, but at the same time, that’s a massive cameo for Marvel Studios to pull off. However, Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror made his debut during the finale of Loki, so never say never.
Those hoping to see a proper look at Gorr may feel a little disappointed by the movie’s first teaser. The wait to see Christian Bale rip through the MCU Gods continues—though, if one looks closely enough, the God Killer's minions can be seen in the background attacking New Asgard.
Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters on July 8.
