Marvel Studios’ Phase Four film, Thor 4, indulged its viewers in all parts equally comedic and terrifying. For most of the Marvel fandom, however, it proved a significant step down from the original tone and thematic structure of the Thor franchise. Even though Taika Waititi infused his film with a terrific villain, the theatrical cut proved unable to make good on the promise of delivering the same.
The plot of Thor 4 included Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher whose cinematic rendition was terrifyingly cruel and necessary for the narrative. Armed with All-Black the Necrosword, Gorr proceeds to vow the end of all gods. But a movie with a good start was expected to use that cruelty to its advantage, which it failed to do.
Also read: ‘Star-Lord wouldn’t say that’: James Gunn Reportedly Disagrees With Taika Waititi’s Portrayal
Christian Bale’s Manifestation of Gorr in Thor 4
The narrative of the fourth Thor installment prided itself on bringing in a villain not influenced by any of Loki’s manipulations. Unfortunately, the absence of Loki was felt throughout the scripted narrative, making the villain arc even more subversive than the rest of the film’s plot, which basically proved to be a journey of love and healing for the movie’s titular character.
However, Christian Bale does manage to bring a modicum of panache to the otherwise watered-down family-friendly movie. His Gorr makes for a worthy antagonist, even though Waititi guided it with a deceptive hand toward a slow, needless, and uncalled-for death. The screentime allocated to Bale was too short to be hailed a powerful performance and the audience was left with the bare scraps of just-enough villainy to provide the desideratum impetus to the plot.
Thor 4 Co-Writer Reveals the Ideation of Gorr’s Personality
The co-writer of the script of Thor: Love and Thunder, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, was an inherent part of Taika Waititi‘s infamous script-writing process. The director is known for throwing out most of his final work in favor of the next good idea and Robinson’s contribution on set involved adapting those new ideas and narratives and incorporating them with the dialogues in the best possible manner.
The writer recently revealed the different versions of the ending that were on standby for the film’s final showdown. Robinson also speaks about how crucial it was to get the tone for Gorr’s personality just right.
“We did a lot of work as a group. [Producer] Brad Winderbaum, Taika and myself — really trying to find the right tone, where he can fit in a Taika world and be fun, but he’s also a formidable villain. His story is tragic, and you really want to make sure you don’t trivialize that and make it seem funny. You also want to give Christian moments where he can play within the worlds Taika creates. It doesn’t have to be this downer villain, which was very important to Christian as well.”
Thor: Love and Thunder is now playing in theatres worldwide.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
