According to a recent report, Academy Award winner Christian Bale is currently in talks to join the upcoming Marvel sequel, Thor: Love and Thunder.
The Thor franchise pulled off a rare feat by reinvigorating itself in it’s third chapter. This was largely due to director Taika Waititi’s irreverent take on the Asgardian prince and his intergalactic adventures. The changes to Thor were far from simply cosmetic, despite the lead character getting a new haircut and makeover. Thor: Ragnarok was full of color, bombast, a heavy dose of 80’s B-movie ethos, and comedy deeply rooted in improvisation. In essence, it felt like a refreshing new beginning to the franchise.
At last summer’s San Diego Comic Con, Waititi joined Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige to announce that a sequel was in the works, Thor: Love and Thunder. It was also revealed that Natalie Portman was set to rejoin the franchise and would be wielding Mjlinor also. That was enough juice to keep fans humming throughout 2019, however it’s a new calendar year and now there’s a whole lot more to talk about…
Today, industry veteran Jeff Schneider dropped an unexpected scoop, via Collider, from the world of Marvel. According to the story, actor Christian Bale is currently in talks with Marvel Studios to join Thor: Ragnarok in an unspecified role. It’s mentioned in the article that both Bale’s representation and Marvel Studios had no comment on the topic. Which is a telltale sign that the story has validity. Typically they use this tactic when the two negotiating sides aren’t looking to take things public, until the deal is signed.
Is Christian Bale Love or Thunder?
Bale is no stranger to comic book films, as he played Batman in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, which has been argued as the best superhero trilogy ever. However, Bale has never worked in a comedy as broad and zany as the one found in Ragnarok. It’s probable that Bale, who is known for working with brilliant directors, wanted the chance to collaborate with Jojo Rabbit’s Taika Waititi.
There’s no information on the character Bale is playing. However, the thought of the American Psycho in a villainous role, going toe-to-toe with Chris Hemsworth and Portman is more than intriguing. It’s also worth noting that Bale is not adverse to hiding his face and performing via motion capture. As he played Bagheera the panther in Andy Serkis’, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, in a fully digital role. So, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities to see him in a role like Beta Ray Bill for example. There is a lot to chew on here and there’s certainly a lot more to come on this story and more from the MCU in the coming weeks.
Thor: Love and Thunder releases in theaters on November 5th, 2021.
What do you think of Christian Bale potentially joining the Thor franchise? Who do you think that he is playing? Let us know in the comment section below!
Source: Collider
