Thor: Love and Thunder is set to premiere on July 8th, 2022. But, despite its fast-approaching premiere date, Marvel has been fairly reluctant to give us much content from the film. That’s why Thor 4‘s trailer dropping, on April 18th, 2022, was met with such excitement. From the looks of it, Thor 4 is shaping up to be a delightful adventure from director Taika Waititi.
The film is going to be a crossover between Thor and The Guardians of the Galaxy. Additionally, it will welcome back Natalie Portman as Jane Foster. This isn’t the Foster we knew from Thor and Thor: The Dark World, though, as Foster is now inexplicably able to wield Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor. Meanwhile, we will also see the continuation of Valkyrie’s (Tessa Thompson) storyline, after she was named the leader of Asgard at the end of Avengers: Endgame. Plus, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) will be contending with another God of Thunder in the form of Russell Crowe’s Zeus.
Thor 4‘s trailer introduced us to all of the characters outlined above. It establishes these characters’ returns and debuts, as well as teases Thor’s journey of self-discovery as he considers quitting the superhero business. We even got more of Star Lord’s (Chris Pratt) and Thor’s hilarious chemistry. However, the trailer noticeably lacks any mention of villain. In spite of that, there is very much a villain in Thor 4, and the secrecy surrounding him is elevating the anticipation for his reveal.
Who is the villain in Thor: Love and Thunder?
The main villain in Thor 4 will be Gorr the God Butcher. While Gorr wasn’t featured in the trailer, his role is teased in the official Thor 4 synopsis. Gorr will be portrayed by Christian Bale, known for starring as Batman in The Dark Knight trilogy. This former DC actor is the latest to meander over to Marvel and was first attached to the film in 2020. Later, Thompson confirmed that Bale had been cast as the film’s main villain.
Bale’s portrayal of Gorr will mark Gorr’s very first live-action appearance in the MCU. In fact, it is Gorr who will force Thor out of his retirement from the superhero business. Gorr is described in Thor 4‘s synopsis as a “galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods.” That said, Gorr doesn’t seem like the typical villainous threat. The fact that Thor will seek the help of Valkyrie, Korg, and Foster—as well as potentially Zeus and the Guardians—means that Gorr is truly a force to be reckoned with.
Gorr the God Butcher, explained
While Thor 4 will mark Gorr’s live-action debut, Gorr has appeared in Marvel comic books since 2013. Gorr was raised on a nameless planet and, as an inquisitive youngster, frequently questioned how bad things can happen if gods truly do exist. As a child, Gorr loses both his mother and father, then later, his own wife and children. Gorr’s suffering causes him to lose his faith in the gods, but when he discovers the gods do exist and simply did nothing to help him, his disbelief turns into a deep-set hatred.
When Gorr comes into contact with All-Black, his hatred turns into a mission to kill all of the gods. The All-Black was formed by the evil deity, Knull, and is an ancient symbiote. When the All-Black leaves Knull, it binds itself to Gorr and gives him superhuman powers. Additionally, the All-Black can morph into any weapon that Gorr thinks of, including All-Black the Necrosword. The Necrosword is a blade made from living darkness and can kill any god.
In addition to his sword of darkness, Gorr has superhuman strength, durability, the power of flight, and regeneration abilities. Besides the All-Black, Gorr also forges the godbomb in the comic books. After narrowly escaping an encounter with Thor, Gorr sought a better strategy than slaying the gods one by one. He created the godbomb which, when detonated by the All-Black, would kill every single divine deity that ever did, or ever would, exist, all at once.
Gorr in Thor: Love and Thunder
Gorr’s absence from the Thor 4 trailer hopefully means that Marvel is planning an epic reveal. After all, Gorr’s ability to slay gods, along with his powers from the ancient All-Black, create a truly frightening image. Yet, there is a relatability to his story—as he starts out as a believer whose faith is tarnished by pain and suffering. When he finds out the gods do exist, he cannot feel anything but outrage that they did not act.
Bale will have a tough task in balancing Gorr’s pure darkness and evil, while also not blotting out the tale of his very human-like beginnings. Meanwhile, Gorr may fit in nicely with Thor’s journey of self-discovery. Thor’s questioning of who he is may actually become urgent with Gorr demanding the gods to answer for their inaction. Gorr may very well be the one who convinces Thor to let someone else take over his mantle. Gods are quickly becoming a bigger part in Marvel, and Gorr’s evil may make them entirely rethink their existence and duties.
(featured image: Marvel Entertainment)
