Chris Hemsworth On Why Christian Bale’s Thor: Love And Thunder Villain Is Among His Favorites

Thor actor Chris Hemsworth has discussed Oscar-winner Christian Bale’s MCU debut for Thor: Love and Thunder, saying the Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher is among his favorite MCU villains of all time.

Speaking to IGN, Hemsworth said Bale–who won an Oscar for The Fighter–displays “nuance and complexity and truth,” as well as “levity,” in his performance as Gorr.

“He’s one of my favorite actors working, and I was so excited he agreed to jump on board here. What’s he’s done is that he’s definitely one of my favorite villains in the Marvel universe,” Hemsworth said.

Gorr made his debut in 2012’s Thor: God of Thunder comic, so he is a relatively new villain, created by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic. Gorr vows to exact revenge against the gods after his wife and children die. His aim is to kill every god, and this includes Thor.

“He’s hugely intimidating and destructive, but the right amount of heart and truth there and relatable pain that we can attune to or understand ourselves,” Hemsworth said. “So, it makes it all the more complex when you’re trying to figure out what everyone’s motivations are.”

Bale is making his MCU debut in Love and Thunder, but he’s no stranger to comic book movies, as he starred in Christopher Nolan’s Batman: The Dark Knight trilogy as Batman himself.

In another interview, Bale said he had no idea what the MCU was before he signed on for Love and Thunder. Also, he was initially worried that he’d have to show a lot of skin, as Gorr wears a G-string in the comics. “I thought, ‘They don’t have the right man for that!’ And then [director Taika Waititi] quickly dispelled any notions of running around in that. But I always did think what he could do with this in front of a bluescreen–he could chuck on whatever he wants later on,” Bale said.

Love And Thunder is the craziest thing Taika Waititi has ever done, and it stars tons of returning characters, including Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Waititi as Korg. Natalie Portman returns as Jane Foster and The Mighty Thor, and Russell Crowe plays the Greek god Zeus. Thor: Love And Thunder hits theaters on July 8.