The news that Christian Bale may soon be coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is exciting all on its own, regardless of who he's playing. But the rumors that Bale may be in talks to play a certain Marvel Comics villain in Thor: Love and Thunder raises some potentially exciting -- and worrisome -- questions.
If Dario Aggar is coming to the MCU, it'll be a really fun development for the franchise, but only if Disney is willing to let him be played to his full potential.
DEATHLY DARIO
Speculation among fans suggests that Dario Aggar will be the mystery role played by Christian Bale in Thor: Love and Thunder. Dario is a relatively new villain within the Marvel Universe, first introduced during Jason Aaron's run on Thor. He's the CEO of the Roxxon Corporation, a ruthless company that has its fingers throughout almost the entire world. But on top of his cruel business practices and access to massive technological advancements, Dario also has his own magical gifts, with the ability to transform into a minotaur.
Dario quickly became a frequent enemy of Thor, both the original Odinson and then Jane Foster who took on the mantle of the God of Thunder. He started working alongside a number of different other Thor villains, even teaming up with Malekith and the rest of his council of twisted villains from across the ten realms during War of the Realms. Dario was able to survive the fall of his allies and maintain some semblance of power in the modern world, however.
POLITICAL BATTLES
Dario is a very specific kind of bad guy, in that he can become very political, very fast. There's the old idea that all art is political, but Dario at times feels like comics creators have been given a modern super-capitalist to taken down. Even in the Marvel Universe, consumeristic power seems to have made Dario so much more powerful then you'd expect. He fights his battles just as much in the public sector as he does in a war zone -- turning public opinion into a weapon. Dario buys what he can't have, and then destroys it at his leisure. He was even able to weather his betrayal of Earth because he controls news outlets and provides goods and services the world over.
In a time where even monarchs like Doctor Doom are being targeted by assassins, Dario has proven surprisingly untouchable -- until he came up against the new Bruce Banner. The Devil Hulk has targeted Dario and Roxxon because they represent what he sees as the worst of humanity. And Devil Hulk is actually doing some damage, causing serious problems for Dario's bottom line. With Hulk purposefully becoming a symbol to the young and angry people of the United States, he's helped galvanize a battle against the Roxxon CEO.
If Dario was to appear in Thor: Love and Thunder and then survive the events of the film (which, given the MCU track record on surviving supervillains, is uncertain), then he could easily fulfill his current role as a Hulk villain and an enemy for the universe as a whole. He could also come up against other future heroes like Namor, especially if the MCU takes up the more recent ecologically-motivated version of the Atlanten character. Dario would make a perfect foil to Namor as someone who's fully aware of what's happening to the world and is actually profiting off it. This could even be the threat that unites the MCU's version of the Defenders, allowing the more socially conscious heroes to go up against the super-powered face of corporate cruelty. But while having a completely political version of the villain would be fascinating, it remains to be seen if Disney could handle it.
THE DISNEY QUESTION
While Marvel has been political since the day Captain America punched Hitler on the front of the comic, it's recently been more adverse to stuff that could rock the boat. In the past year alone, legendary comics creators like Mark Waid and Art Spiegelman have had their works featuring critical political content pulled from Marvel Comics #1000. Even Marvel Studios has been hit, with James Gunn being reinstated to his spot directing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 almost a year after being fired following an online campaign based somewhat in political differences.
Dario would be a great villain (especially played by Bale) but also an inherently political one. There's no way to talk about Dario at his full potential without utilizing aspects like Rox News (a clear stand-in for the conservative news outlet Fox News) or his efforts to co-opt unique heroes and take away their mission by turning them into non-threats with merchandise of his own. If Dario is indeed joining the MCU, it's -going to be interesting to see how Marvel -- and Disney -- deal with the character. Disney is a major corporation and one of the most successful companies in the entire world, meaning they have a vested interest in avoiding controversy, especially politically.
But by his very nature, Dario is a charged villain. His most recent appearances have leaned into this, allowing writer Immortal Hulk writer Al Ewing to confront questions about manufactured media, male toxicity and the definition of wealth and power in the modern-day (while also setting up a massive Hulk vs. Minotaur fight because superheroes are the best). That's a character who, if positioned against heroic figures like Thor and Hulk, is going to make a lot of people mad. He'd be a fantastic villain for the newly at-peace Hulk and would make for a great recurring threat for the future of the MCU. But it might be tough to get him at his full potential unless Disney is willing to let him be the openly capitalistic threat that he's become.
Directed by Taika Waititi, Thor: Love and Thunder stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Natalie Portman as Jane Foster. The film arrives in theaters Nov. 5, 2021.