Marvel Studios confirmed today that Academy Award Winning Actor and former Batman Christian Bale has officially been cast as Gorr the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder. 

Academy Award-winning actor Christian Bale will join the cast of Thor: Love and Thunder as the villain Gorr the God Butcher. In theaters May 6, 2022. ⚡ pic.twitter.com/fWS4UuP2oM

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) December 11, 2020

The film is set to start shooting in January with Taika Waititi returning as writer and director. Returning cast also includes Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, and Chris Hemsworth. Chris Pratt was confirmed early this year by THR, though Feige did not confirm his involvement in this announcement. The exact plot is still unknown, though with Gorr the God Butcher confirmed, it brings another level to the film. 

Gorr the God Butcher is a newer character to the Marvel comic universe, first appearing in God of Thunder #2 in 2013. Gorr grows up on a planet with no name, he fostered a mate and children, but eventually lost all of them. His story is very similar to that of Job from the Bible, but if Job turned against God. He eventually does just that and vows to destroy the Gods that ruined his life. Seeing as Thor is a God, it is safe to assume that Gorr does not take kindly to him. 

Gorr is also an alien in the comics so it will be interesting to see if Christian Bale’s role is mostly voice over with motion-capture, or is simply him under heavy prosthetics. Either way it will be quite exciting to see Thor, Padme, and Batman all possibly going up against each other in the latest installment of the MCU. 

This is huge news for the film series, and gives Thor a formidable and clear opponent for his next film. 

Thor: Love and Thunder is set for a February 11, 2022 release date.