Thor: Love and Thunder star Christian Bale recently opened up about why Gorr the God Butcher was an easier role than playing Batman.
Bale, who famously portrayed Batman in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, discussed the advantages of bringing a villain like Gorr to life in an interview with Screen Rant. "[Villains] do [have more fun], absolutely," he said. "They not only have more fun, but they're easier to play. Because everybody is fascinated with bad guys, right? The minute the bad guy walks on the screen, no one's looking at the good guy anymore. All eyes go to the bad guy, so it's a much easier acting gig."
Bale noting the fun involved with villainous roles aligns with comments he made in a previous interview about several Thor: Love and Thunder deleted scenes in which he nudged his performance into R-rated territory. The Oscar-winning actor recalled how his co-star Chris Hemsworth flagged that this material was probably too edgy for the Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster's target audience, but insisted he nevertheless enjoyed experimenting at the time. Bale also noted that while he and director Taika Waititi realized this footage probably wouldn't make the final cut, it didn't deter them from seeing how far they could push Bale's interpretation of the character.
Christian Bale's Prosthetic Problems on Thor 4
The Thor: Love and Thunder shoot wasn't always a pleasant experience for Bale, though. The star previously revealed that he only discovered that Gorr's look would be realized through extensive makeup and prosthetics (and not motion capture) after reviewing his first call sheet. "I actually arrived thinking that we were doing CGI and that I would have to stick on a few dots," Bale said. "And suddenly I was going, 'Why am I being called four hours before everyone else? What's up with that?' And then I learned I must have missed the conversation where it was decided it was prosthetics instead."
Despite this, Bale was effusive in his praise for Thor: Love and Thunder's team of makeup artists, describing them as collaborators who played an equal role in bringing Gorr to life. Bale's hardship extended beyond the makeup chair itself, though, as he struggled with the practicalities of wearing Gorr's prosthetics on the set and claimed they even affected his mental well-being. "I was pathetic. I found myself thinking things like, 'I don't think I can walk because I've got long nails.' It affected my brain. I was like, 'I can't eat, I've got long nails.' I was trying to type. I couldn't do anything," he said.
Thor: Love and Thunder is currently streaming on Disney+.
Source: Screen Rant