Christian Bale is taking another run at superhero films, but this time, he won’t be dressed up as a bat.
Tessa Thompson, who played Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame, has confirmed that Bale is now part of the Marvel family. He’ll be playing the villain in Thor: Love and Thunder, which will be directed by Taika Waititi.
While the role is still being kept under wraps, he’ll certainly be facing off against Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster, who will adopt the mantle of Thor in the fourth film. Chris Hemsworth will also star, but it isn’t clear whether he’ll reclaim his status as the God of Thunder by the time the credits roll.
Collider was the first to break the news of Bale’s casting back in January. Interestingly enough, the actor had told the site back in 2017 that he had no interest in working with Marvel. He also admitted that he hasn’t watched any superhero films aside from his own Batman films, and some of the older Superman films starring Christopher Reeves.
Collider: When I put on Twitter that I was going to be talking to you, I always try to ask something that the fans want to know, and a lot of them asked basically about you doing another superhero movie. Would you be interested in working with Marvel? Is being involved in another superhero film something that you are looking to do? Because it does feel like the genre is only getting bigger when I thought it might be slowing down by now.
Bale: No, I’m not interested in doing that. I’ve never seen — I’m trying to think if that’s correct, I think I’m actually correct, I can’t remember a single superhero film that I’ve ever watched. Apart from the ones I made and like, the Christopher Reeve Superman films.
Collider: I was just going to ask if you’ve seen the Christopher Reeve Superman movies by Richard Donner.
Bale: Yes. Yes, I love those. Other than that, no I’ve never seen anything.