Here’s Why Waititi Thinks Bale (Gorr The God Butcher) Is One Of The Best MCU Villains Ever

“Thor: Love and Thunder” promises to be one of the wildest romps in a year filled with over-the-top superhero antics. We already saw “The Batman” take the movie theater by storm. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is a mind-bending horror experience that only the MCU can create.

We’re also digging deep into ancient Egyptian mythology in 2022 with “Moon Knight” tearing it up on the streaming screen, and Dwayne Johnson ready to continue the ongoing cinematic DC experience via “Black Adam” later this fall. From one end to the other, it’s clear that the post-pandemic delays are over, and Hollywood has fully fired up again.

And yet, out of all the excitement, Thor’s fourth solo installment stands out. Why? For so many reasons. So many freaking reasons.

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It’s the first MCU solo franchise to get a fourth movie. Taika Waititi will carry on the wildly entertaining work that he did with “Thor: Ragnarok.” It’s going to have an insane amount of crossovers (hello, Guardians of the Galaxy!) Jane Foster will officially be reintroduced as Mighty Thor.

And the cast is outrageously good. Helmed by Hemsworth, the story of “Love and Thunder” will incorporate an endless procession of additional quality talent, from Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord to Natalie Portman’s Jane to Karen Gillan’s Nebula to Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie — the list just goes on. And that doesn’t even include a handful of new faces, like Russel Crowe’s Zeus.

And yet, for all the five-star talent that the group offers, there’s one name, in particular, that Waititi felt he had to single out for special treatment. Christian Bale is slated to play Gorr the God Butcher and according to the director, the superhero movie alumni is smashing this one out of the park.

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Waititi thinks Bale is one of the best MCU villains ever

Gorr the God Butcher is a fascinating comic book character with a deep personal grudge and impressive capabilities (he butchers gods, for goodness’ sake). But that doesn’t mean the character will automatically pop on screen. Even in the skilled hands of Waititi and company, there are no guarantees. It’s up to each actor to bring their character to life.

In a recent interview with AP News, the director categorized his next MCU movie as the craziest film he’s ever made. He also highlighted the unique cast of characters that he got to work with in the latest installment of Thor’s tetralogy. In typical Waititi style, the director referred to the group as awesomely odd, saying, “It’s a great, really fun, weird little group of heroes, a new team for Thor with Korg, Valkyrie and The Mighty Thor.”

From there, Waititi went further and chose to toss in a personal epiphany, adding, “And, in my humble opinion, we have probably the best villain that Marvel’s ever had in Christian Bale.”

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These words are coming from a director who already worked with the prestigious likes of Cate Blanchett (as Hela) and Jeff Goldblum (as the Grandmaster) in “Thor: Ragnarok.” This is also stacking up Bale’s soon-to-be-unveiled performance against the likes of other MCU villain staples, like Josh Brolin’s Thanos, Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger, and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki.

There’s no doubt that the bar is set really high at this point. There’s also no doubt that Christian Bale has the talent to land on those upper echelons of MCU villainy. The only question that remains to be answered is whether the fanbase agrees with Waititi’s heady statement when “Thor: Love and Thunder” rocks and rolls into theaters this July.