Photographers have risked the wrath of Disney and dodged the deadly gunfire of the infamous Marvel spoiler snipers to bring us our first look at Christian Bale in Thor: Love and Thunder. The surreptitiously taken photos offer our first look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s newest bad guy, Gorr the God Butcher (Bale).
While it’s difficult to make out any real detail, Gorr looks very similar to his comic book counterpart in that he’s a stark white figure wearing a cloak. The only difference we can really see is that his cape’s white instead of black, but Marvel Studios may do their old trick of using computers to alter costumes like some kind of digital tailor. It’s also interesting to see that Marvel’s using traditional prosthetics for the character rather than making him a wholly digital creation.
Thor: Love and Thunder is currently filming reshoots in Malibu, Australia. The Daily Mail reports that Bale was wandering around the beach in between takes and was the only lead actor on set that day.
Gorr the God Butcher made his first appearance in Marvel Comics in 2013 during Jason Aaron’s run on Thor: God of Thunder. Growing up on a barren but devout world, Gorr came to hate all gods for failing to answer his people’s prayers. However, a chance encounter with the Venom symbiote’s primogenitor offered him a chance at revenge, and he set off to kill every god in existence.
The first look at Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder!
Filming has resumed in Malibu
(via Daily Mail) pic.twitter.com/2RHo4zG1VJ
— Thor: Love and Thunder News (@lovethundernews) August 4, 2021
Directed by Taikia Waiti, Thor: Love and Thunder is part of Marvel’s Phase 4 and was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2019. A sequel to the widely beloved Thor: Ragnarok, the action movie will see Chris Hemsworth return as the titular god of thunder as he battles Gorr. Thor won’t be the only storm god in the adventure movie, though, as Natalie Portman is set to return as Jane Foster with all the powers of Thor thanks to Mjolnir.
Rounding out the cast are the Guardian’s of the Galaxy, Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Drax (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Groot (Vin Diesel), Kraglin (Sean Gunn), and Nebula (Karen Gillian). Waititi will also reprise his role as Korg, the Kronan gladiator who tried to overthrow the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) with some pretty extreme pamphlets.
Thor: Love and Thunder is set for release on May 6, 2022.