Who is the villain in Thor: Love and Thunder?

As Thor: Love and Thunder ushers in the next chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it will bring the return of fan-favorite characters, and introduce reimagined allies and formidable new enemies. Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor alongside the reprisal of Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Taika Waititi as Korg, and Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, aka the Mighty Thor. All will have their hands full in facing Love and Thunder’s new foe, Gorr the God Butcher, portrayed by Christian Bale.

Who is the Thor: Love and Thunder villain?

Gorr the God Butcher

Actor: Christian Bale

Gorr the God Butcher’s motive is quite literally in his name, and he presents himself as a noteworthy adversary against the Norse God of Thunder. Born on a planet with no name and after enduring a troubling upbringing, living almost every day close to starvation, Gorr frequently reached out to the Gods to answer his prayers to no avail. After discovering that the Gods were real, he swore to seek vengeance on any he encountered for failing to come to him in his time of need, eventually plotting to eliminate any and all Gods along the way.

In comics history, Gorr crossed paths with a multitude of Gods across mythologies, including Thor, the Norse God of Thunder. In Love and Thunder, it remains to be seen whether Gorr will directly seek out Thor or if the Avenger will embark on a search as some sort of retribution. The Norse Gods will not be the only ones to cross paths with Gorr either. Russell Crowe is known to be portraying Zeus, and a brief shot in the teaser highlights Olympus, home of the Greek Gods.

Director Taika Waititi sang high praises for Christian Bale’s portrayal of Gorr, saying that “We have probably the best villain that Marvel’s ever had in Christian Bale.” This won’t be the first time Bale is entering a superhero universe, after having portrayed Bruce Wayne aka Batman in the Christopher Nolan trilogy. Bale’s preparation for his roles is noteworthy, and fans will be excited to see how the same work ethic translates to a villainous role with Gorr.