Christian Bale Confirmed As Gorr In ‘Thor: Love And Thunder,’ But Who Is The God Butcher?

Disney revealed so much content at their 2020 Investor Day that it was almost too hard to keep up. A handful of new shows were announced for Disney Plus, including Armor Wars starring Don Cheadle and Secret Invasion with Samuel L. Jackson. While most of the news revolved around television series, there were some major movie reveals which included Marvel Studios’ confirmation of Christian Bale in Thor: Love and Thunder.

Rumors had been circulating about the former Dark Knight joining the fourth Thor flick, but it took almost a year before they were confirmed. Marvel Studios has confirmed Bale will be playing Gorr the God Butcher, the film’s antagonist. The big reveal came during the event’s live stream but was also shared on the studio’s Twitter page.

Bale is joining an already stellar cast, which includes Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Chris Pratt, and Taika Waititi. The new movie is already being compared to an Avengers film due to the staggering amount of big-name actors, with more expected to be announced over the next few months.

Now that Love and Thunder’s villain is confirmed, many are wondering just who Gorr the God Butcher is. The character has one of the most depressing backstories in all of Marvel Comics.

Born on a planet with no name, Gorr was impoverished. His parents taught him to pray to the gods, saying that they would provide, but Gorr was always left disappointed as his prayers were never answered. His mother and father eventually died, leaving him alone in a cruel world. After becoming an adult, he married and had children. His wife died, as did all of his children — putting him in a state of incurable despair.

Gorr no longer believed in the gods after he suffered those immeasurable losses. He felt if there were these great beings, they surely would have helped him and his family. Eventually, he came upon two gods battling one another, where he realized that they do exist. He then began on a path of destruction, vowing to kill every one of them for not helping the needy.

This will be where he encounters Thor in Love and Thunder. Thor Odinson is the God of Thunder and is arguably the strongest Avenger, making him one of the most powerful superheroes overall. The two will encounter one another in the new film, where Portman’s character will also possess god-like qualities.

The plot for the highly-anticipated project is still unknown, so how Bale’s character will come in contact with the heroes remains to be seen.