Could Christian Bale be trading in his cowl for an Asgardian helmet of some kind? The award winning actor has long been praised for his portrayal of Batman, and might finally be bringing that same talent to the MCU. Collider was first to report the rumor that Bale is in talks to join Thor: Love And Thunder in a mystery role.
So here's where things get interesting, Marvel has declined to comment. That is to be expected, but typically when that happens, these rumors are true. It could be that Kevin Feige and company are a bit hesitant, given their recent comments that they lost a big name actor that they really wanted for an upcoming movie. Could that have been Bale and these negotiations have already gone up in smoke? Not likely, but certainly something to consider.
The internet seems to have already made up their mind as to who they want Bale to play. Beta Ray Bill isn't just the leader in the clubhouse, he appears to be the unanimous choice. After playing one of the biggest names in superhero fandom, playing a character like Beta Ray Bill might be exactly what Bale is looking for. That is, assuming he wants to jump back into comic book movies in the first place. I doubt it's about the money for Bale, as he seems to make plenty with almost everything that he's in. So this wouldn't just be a Marvel cash grab. Bale is going to have to want to do this, and it will have to be a character that will challenge him.
Is Beta Ray Bill that character? You would have to take his story in a much different direction than in the comics, but it could certainly work. There would likely be some CGI involved here too, so Bale wouldn't necessarily have to live at the gym to take this role on.
We might get to find out soon, because Thor: Love And Thunder will be in theaters on November 5, 2021.
Photo Credit: Eric Charbonneau