Taika Waititi says Christian Bale's Thor: Love and Thunder villain is probably Marvel's best yet

Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi has nothing but praise for Christian Bale’s god-killing villain in the upcoming Marvel sequel.

"In my humble opinion, we have probably the best villain that Marvel’s ever had in Christian Bale," Waititi told Associated Press.

Given Marvel’s recent track record of iconic villains – Thanos, Loki, and Green Goblin might have something to say about that – it’s big talk indeed. Bale is set to play Gorr the God Butcher, a maniacal threat ripped from Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic’s legendary Thor comic book run, who makes it his life’s mission to hunt down and kill a pantheon of deities.

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While Bale’s villain has been conspicuously absent from the first Thor: Love and Thunder trailer, recent merchandise leaks have filled in the gaps and presented a look at Gorr’s design. He’s a pallid, gray-skinned alien wearing a white cloak and possessing a pitch-black sword, potentially the Necrosword.

Marvel’s official synopsis has revealed that Thor will put together a new team to combat Gorr – including Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor – in "a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher's vengeance and stop him before it's too late."

Waititi also teased more of the group dynamics in Love and Thunder. He revealed: "It’s a great, really fun, weird little group of heroes, a new team for Thor with Korg, Valkyrie and The Mighty Thor."

Thor: Love and Thunder is set for release in cinemas on July 8. For more on the MCU’s future plans, check out our comprehensive guide to Marvel Phase 4.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.