After the success of Thor: Ragnarok, Marvel fans are eagerly looking forward to director Taika Waititi's next addition to the Thor franchise, Thor: Love and Thunder. Along with the return of stars Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, and Natalie Portman, Thor: Love and Thunder will also star The Dark Knight actor Christian Bale as new villain, Gorr the God Butcher.
Bale was seen on set in costume during additional photography for the film. He was wearing a flowing grey outfit that gave him an ethereal quality, a black robe, and makeup and prosthetics to complete the transformation. Even before CGI, he certainly resembles the Gorr from the comics. How much he will resemble the character outside appearance remains to be seen.
As usual, plot details of Thor: Love and Thunder have been kept mostly under wraps. It has been confirmed that the Guardians of the Galaxy, who Thor flew off with at the end of Avengers: Endgame, will be making an appearance. It has also been confirmed that the storyline where Jane Foster, stricken with cancer, becomes able to wield the hammer to transform into Lady Thor temporarily, will be part of the film. So how will Gorr the God Butcher fit into the film?
In the comics, Gorr is born on a planet with no name where he is often at risk of starvation. He loses his parents at a young age and is left to fend for himself in harsh conditions. He gets married and has children, only to see his wife and children die of starvation one by one. After enduring all of this pain and suffering, Gorr feels anger at having often been told to pray to the gods to save him and his family, assuming they do not exist as his prayers were never answered.
Upon encountering two gods fighting and learning that gods are in fact real, Gorr becomes furious that none of the gods answered his prayers. From one of the gods fighting--the dark elder deity Knull--Gorr acquires All-Black, the Necrosword, which gives him the capability to kill gods. He then goes on a crusade to kill all gods throughout the universe, earning himself the nickname, "Gorr the God Butcher."
Without the sword, Gorr possessed no superhuman abilities, but the sword grants him many powers beyond the ability to kill gods. The sword grants him enormous super strength and the ability to create wings that allow him to fly. He can make weapons as well as a shroud out of darkness. Gorr is also virtually immortal, spending centuries killing gods all over the universe. Over his lifetime he gains thousands of years worth of combat experience, and just as many years learning to become a master torturer.
Gorr first meets Thor in Medieval Iceland. Thor has noticed gods showing up dead, and learns that Gorr is who is behind it. They battle, and while both escape the battle alive, Thor cuts off Gorr's arm, leading him to believe he defeated him. Gorr continues to go across the universe butchering gods, but does not forget his encounter with Thor and vows to kill him.
Hundreds of years later, Thor again begins to take notice of gods showing up dead, and upon investigating their deaths and disappearances, recognizes Gorr's handiwork. They end up meeting and battling once again, with Gorr this time having the power of an army of shadow Berserkers--dark minion symbiotes--behind him. Gorr has also created the Godbomb, a weapon designed to kill all gods who have ever or will ever exist across the entire timeline. The battle between Gorr and Thor involves time travel, multiple Thors, and various kinds of symbiotes.
So how will this complex storyline, spanning time and space, be translated into the MCU? The MCU has often been known to be inspired by comic book storylines while adding their own twists and new takes to varying degrees. For example, Jane Foster could participate in the battle with Gorr as well, given she is known to be wielding the hammer in the film, while this is not the case in the comics.
The recent introduction of the multiverse to the MCU means that it could be used to alter or play with the storyline as well. For example, in the comics, the second battle between Thor and the God Butcher involves the Thor from the time of the first battle as well as a future Thor. If the movie was to do this, these Thors could be from alternate timelines or universes instead of this one. Additionally, while it is possible Gorr could be defeated in this film, the existence of the multiverse could open up opportunities for him to return to the MCU in some way.
While Gorr the God Butcher is a villainous and murderous character, he is also a tragic one. The tragedies that he experienced led him to become dark and angry, using his great power to spread pain and suffering around the universe. It will be interesting to see how this dark character is explored within Thor: Love and Thunderand to see how Bale will portray him. Gorr should add a fascinating layer of darkness and tragedy to the often lighthearted Thor films.
Thor: Love and Thunder will be released in theatres on May 6, 2022.