Believe it or not, it hasn’t even been a decade since Christian Bale wrapped up his time as Batman in The Dark Knight Rises. But as we’ve seen so many times, just because you starred in one superhero franchise doesn’t mean you can’t contribute to another, and word’s come in that Bale is being eyed to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe via Thor: Love and Thunder.
This update comes from Collider, which shared that Christian Bale is currently in talks to join Thor: Love and Thunder. So his casting isn’t a sure thing just yet, but even if a deal is worked out, no information was provided on who Bale will play in the God of Thunder’s fourth standalone movie.
Thor: Love and Thunder was officially announced at last summer’s San Diego Comic-Con, just days after it was reported that Thor: Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi would return to direct and write a fourth Thor movie. Since then, in addition to Chris Hemsworth obviously reprising Thor Odinson, we’ve learned that Tessa Thompson and Natalie Portman will reprise Valkyrie and Jane Foster, respectively. Waititi also confirmed he’ll reprise the lovable Korg.
However, outside of Jane Foster also wielding the mantle of Thor, Valkyrie looking for a queen to rule New Asgard alongside her and Taika Waititi saying that it will be “bigger and louder and more bombastic” than Thor: Ragnarok, no plot details for Thor: Love and Thunder have been revealed yet, including any new characters. So for now, it’s anyone’s guess who Christian Bale could play if he signs on.
Considering that Christian Bale spent his first foray into the comic book movie realm as a hero, it would be cool to see him play Thor: Love and Thunder’s villain. Even this far into the character’s MCU journey, there are plenty of baddies from Thor’s corner of Marvel lore who have yet to make their film debut, from Gorr the God Butcher to Minotaur.
On the other hand, it’s also possible that Christian Bale could play a protagonist in Thor: Love and Thunder. For instance, we still have yet to meet Balder, one of the Odinson’s most important allies in the comics (and based off Baldr from the original Norse mythology). Here’s an incredibly out-of-left-field idea: Bale bringing Beta Ray Bill to life. After all, the groundwork has already been laid for his introduction, and there’d be no better time to bring Bill into the fold than now.
Christian Bale is coming off an exceptional 2019, with his portrayal of Ken Miles in Ford v Ferrari earning him numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe nomination. The year prior, he played Bagheera in Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle and Dick Cheney in Vice, the latter of which won him the Golden Globe for Best Actor — Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
Thor: Love and Thunder storms into theaters on November 5, 2021, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more coverage on its development. Don’t forget to look through our Marvel movies guide to learn what else is coming in Phase 4 and beyond.
