Thor 4 Wants Christian Bale, Is He Playing the Villain?

Christian Bale may be returning to the comic book movie fold, this time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s come to light that the Oscar-winning actor is in talks to join the cast ofThor: Love and Thunder. Bale, should the deal make, would star alongside Chris Hemsworth, who is returning as the God of Thunder once more following last year’sAvengers: Endgame. If this does come to pass, it would make for an impressive addition to an already impressive cast.

According to a new report,Christian Baleis in negotiations to star inThor: Love and Thunder. Details regarding his possible role are being kept under wraps at this time. Though, there is no word yet on who will play the villain and that would be something new for Bale. Natalie Portman is also set to reprise her role as Jane Foster in the upcoming MCU entry. We haven’t seen Portman in the MCU since Thor: The Dark World. Jane did appear briefly inAvengers: Endgame, but Portman didn’t shoot any new scenes. Tessa Thompson will also be reprising her role as Valkyrie.

Previously,Christian Bale played Batman in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. The actor last played the part in 2012’sThe Dark Knight Risesbefore leaving the franchise, paving the way for Ben Affleck to take over as Bruce Wayne. In the years since, Bale has avoided franchise movies, so this would be quite a surprising turn. Especially since he would be making the jump from DC to Marvel. Taika Waititi, who previously helmed Thor: Ragnarok, is returning to write and direct. Waititi is also known for his work on movies such asWhat We Do In the Shadowsand this last year’sJojo Rabbit. It’s entirely possible that working with a respected director like Waititi could be enough to entice Bale to jump back into the franchise arena.

The 45-year-old has been amongstthe most respected actor in the businessfor the better part of two decades. Bale has been nominated for four Oscars for his roles inAmerican Hustle,The Big ShortandVice, winning one for Best Supporting Actor for his work inThe Fighter. Some of his other credits includeThe Prestige,American Psycho,3:10 to YumaandTerminator: Salvation. Most recently, Bale starred inFord vs. Ferrari, which is expected to be a major contender at the Academy Awards this year and could see the actor earn his fifth Oscar nomination.

Plot details are currently being kept under wraps. We know thatNatalie Portman will take up the mantle of Thor, which was revealed last summer when the movie was announced at San Diego Comic-Con. Production is set to begin in August. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as any further details are made available.Thor: Love and Thunderis set to hit theaters on Jul 21, 2025. This news comes to us viaCollider. The topper art comes fromNina Strieder on Deviant Art.