Christian Bale is one of the most talented actors in Hollywood. Given a role, he is not finished until he makes each one a masterpiece. Every screenplay molds itself around him, focusing on his mannerism, and charisma, stealing away the limelight from all else. The talent exhibited by Bale is tangible in his roles, be it primary or otherwise, in the sense that he brings something different to each of his on-screen persona every time.
Also read: Thor 4 Star, Christian Bale, Reveals He Wasn’t Aware of MCU Before Gorr Role
His role as Gorr the God Butcher in Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder is no different. This will have been the second time the actor has played a distinct comic book character, the first being Batman in one of the most acclaimed adaptations of the caped crusader in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. However, the role was almost as good as gone for him if not for the wise intervention of his children.
Related article: Love and Thunder: Christian Bale’s Gorr Is A ‘Step Up’ From Hela
Christian Bale’s Gorr Brings Something New to MCU
Every Marvel antagonist to date is driven by an instinctive drive to conquer and rule. Each battle is guided by a larger force at hand. The first great decade of the MCU advent has closed its chapter by revealing and defeating the larger force, Thanos, and his narcissistic motive of bringing balance and restoring peace to the entire universe.
Also read: “Not a Straightforward Villain”: Taika Waititi Reveals Gorr’s Origins in Thor 4
With the advent of the post-Infinity saga, new players are taking over the ravaged worlds, and with them comes Gorr — different from the common enemy. He is not guided by grandiose delusions nor is his aim to rule or massacre. He only has one qualm and that has to do with the death of his family. Gorr the God Butcher picks up the sword to kill the gods because he had placed his hopes in them and they had not come to save his parents, mate, and children. He was taught to pray and his prayers went unanswered. This villain has a moral story, a tragedy that defines his actions, and a complex character born out of ruined hopes and the death of love.
Bale’s Children Gave Him The Marching Orders For Gorr Role
When pitched to, Christian Bale was first taken up with the story and Taika Waititi’s narrative. Thor’s fourth installment is also Waititi’s second foray into directing a Marvel movie. His unusual take on Thor: Ragnarok was received with mass appreciation and a 93% RT score. Critics applauded the brave take on the otherwise grim, action-packed delivery of MCU’s usual theatrics and called this candy-colored creation “a foot above most of the Marvel universe.”
Also read: 6 Unforgettable Quotes From Thor: Ragnarok
And similarly, Thor: Love and Thunder, does intend to surprise and delight the audience with its unusual take on the mythology of Nordic and Greek gods. However, even as Bale brings a top-tier performance as Gorr, he was almost not cast as the supervillain due to an unfortunate scheduling conflict. While talking to Screen Rant during movie promotions, Bale reveals what made him finally say yes:
“For me, it was Taika. I loved Thor: Ragnarok, as did my family. We also all loved Jojo Rabbit, and then I had worked with Natalie and wanted to work with Tessa and with Chris [Hemsworth]. It comes down to that, really. I just went, “Great!” Loved the script, loved Taika’s description of the villain. “Let’s go do this.”
There were some potential scheduling conflicts. I said to my family, “I don’t think it’s going to work out,” and they went, “No, you make it work out. You’re doing this, Dad.” They gave me my marching orders, and I dutifully obeyed.”
Thor: Love and Thunder hits the theatres on July 7, 2022.
Source: Screen Rant
