New Thor: Love and Thunder concept art reveals an alternate look for Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher that looks much more ready to fight.
Thor: Love and Thunder‘s adaptation of Gorr the God Butcher proved divisive, and new official concept art reveals that Christian Bale’s MCU villain almost looked much different. Love and Thunder‘s version of Gorr is a far cry from the Marvel Comics character of the same name, keeping the same backstory but making his goals, actions, and visual design almost recognizable. That isn’t to say that Gorr looked bad – on the contrary, the more human appearance allowed acclaimed actor Christian Bale to emote far more than he likely would have with the source material’s more serpentine face.
Other unused concept art designs for Gorr have surfaced since Love and Thunder‘s release, but artist Aleksi Briclot – a frequent collaborator with Marvel Studios – has revealed a new and particularly impressive look for the villain on Instagram.
One immediate difference is that this design pays homage to Gorr’s Marvel Comics design by adding two tendrils coming down from the head (while still keeping the human face intact). Another interesting homage to the source material sees Gorr donning white battle armor that mimics natural anatomy. In the comics, Gorr wears only his black hooded cape and a small undergarment. This armor alludes to that while also armoring up the villain for his fights against the gods.
Why Gorr Looks So Different In The MCU And Marvel Comics
It’s not uncommon for the MCU to significantly alter the look of heroes and villains as they transition from the page to the screen, but few are as dramatic as Gorr. In Marvel Comics, Gorr looks undoubtedly alien. He has no nose and a wider mouth, and two tendrils hang down from the sides of his head. His body is largely humanoid, but he also sports animalistic claws that make him look distinctively different. In the MCU, Gorr appears to be human with white skin and tattoos/scars.
While the reasons for Gorr’s final look will likely never be known for sure, it likely comes down to minimizing a potentially extensive makeup process and helping the villain come off as more sympathetic. While Bale may have been underutilized in the MCU, he delivered a fantastic performance that may have been hindered by significant prosthetics. Given the villain’s eventual redemption, the studio may also have wanted him to appear more human and relatable. Either way, Thor: Love and Thunder has its issues, but Gorr’s final design ultimately isn’t one of them.
Source: Aleksi Briclot/Instagram
