Christian Bale Reflects on Gorr’s Costume in Thor: Love and Thunder

NEW YORK, NY — Christian Bale, who portrays Gorr the God Butcher in Taika Waititi‘s film Thor: Love and Thunder, discussed his initial concerns about the villain’s costume during a recent interview.

Bale revealed that he worried about the outfit when he accepted the role, citing Gorr’s comic book appearance. “I know what he does. It’s right there in the name, isn’t it? But I did make the mistake of Googling him, and oh no! [In the comics], he runs around in a G-string all the time,” Bale said.

Fortunately for Bale, Waititi quickly alleviated his concerns about donning the original costume. The actor humorously remarked, “They don’t have the right man for that!” He also pointed out that he was in the middle of filming another project where he was significantly leaner than his usual physique, which further heightened his apprehensions.

While reflecting on his appearance compared to fellow cast member Chris Hemsworth, Bale added, “Nobody wants to see me in a G-string. And there’s no point in working out at all because you can’t compete with Chris.”

Despite his initial reservations, Bale’s portrayal of Gorr has been noted as a highlight of the film and has drawn favorable comparisons to Heath Ledger‘s iconic role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.

Gorr made his first comic appearance in the 2013 issue of Thor: God of Thunder, created by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic. The character emerges from a background of suffering and indifference from the gods, leading him to wield the Necrosword, a powerful weapon designed by the Symbiote progenitor, Knull. While the MCU film omits some of these details, Bale’s Gorr is depicted as a character shaped by grief, particularly the loss of his daughter.

Mayes C. Rubeo, the costume designer for Love and Thunder, explained the thought process behind Gorr’s redesign. “We did so many sketches, but Taika decided he wanted him in white. He wanted to portray Gorr in an archaic and ancient way, and how ancient people mourned. This is a metamorphosis that happens to many people who are in great pain in their lives, a sort of in-between place where none of the colors of life exists. Christian embraced it all,” Rubeo stated.

Fans can catch Thor: Love and Thunder airing on SYFY tomorrow, April 12, at 10:00 p.m. ET.