As the promotional machine for the next Marvel blockbuster, Thor: Love and Thunder, kicks into overdrive, director Taika Waititi is gushing about he, somehow, scored both Christian Bale and Russell Crowe for the God of Thunder’s fourth outing. In the new film, Bale plays Gorr the God Butcher, a formidable foe introduced to the comics by writer Jason Aaron. In the source material, Gorr goes on a killing spree slaughtering Asgardian gods across time while wielding All-Black the Necrosword, which has deep ties to Venom.
Naturally, Love and Thunder will take some liberties with Gorr, and in true Marvel style, Waititi isn’t divulging what those changes are. But he is making a bold claim that Bale could be the best MCU villain yet.
“I think personally, he’s probably one of the best villains that’s Marvel’s had in their films. He’s very layered,” Waititi told Entertainment Weekly before gushing about Crowe’s performance as Zeus. And, yes, that’s Zeus as in Zeus the Greek God of Olympus, which is another interesting curveball for Love and Thunder.
Waititi is even more secretive about Russell Crowe’s role as the god Zeus, but teases that Crowe plays the role in “a way you’ve never seen Russell before.”
“I consider Russell a friend, and I forget that there are some friends I have who are really incredible at what they do,” Waititi says with a laugh. “When I was on set with Russell, I was like, ‘Oh shit, that’s right! You’re Russell Crowe! You’re a really amazing actor!’”
Also in the mix is Natalie Portman as The Mighty Thor who, much to Thor’s surprise, is wielding his old hammer Mjolnir that was destroyed by Cate Blanchett’s Hela in Thor: Ragnarok. Could this be an after-effect of Loki rupturing the Multiverse or something else altogether? Marvel fans will find out soon when Love and Thunder strikes into theaters on July 8.
(Via Entertainment Weekly)