At the top of the year, Collider broke the news that Oscar winner Christian Bale would play the villain opposite Chris Hemsworth in Thor: Love and Thunder, and today, Marvel has finally confirmed Bale's casting and revealed his role in the superhero sequel --Gorr the God Butcher. (For a full Gorr-splainer, here's our detailed breakdown of the character.)

After the stunning success of Thor: Ragnarok, which took in more than $850 million worldwide, Taika Waititi is returning to direct the sequel as well as provide the voice of Korg, who became an instant fan favorite.

Tessa Thompson will reprise her Ragnarok role as Valkyrie, while Natalie Portman will return to the franchise as Jane Foster, who apparently becomes Thor in this movie, which is also expected to include her character's breast cancer storyline.

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Image via Marvel Comics

Gorr the God Butcher first appeared in Thor: God of Thunder #2, which was published in January 2013. The virtually immortal character grew up on a nameless barren planet and vowed to kill the gods who did not save his dying family. He is able to fly at extreme speeds and create shadow Berserkers out of darkness, as well as tendrils that can kill any god, including Asgardians such as Thor.

Marvel's Kevin Feige will produce Thor: Love and Thunder, which is gearing up to start production, and will be Bale's first comic book movie since his final turn as Batman in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises.

Disney was originally slated to release Thor: Love and Thunder on Nov. 5, 2021, but the studio has pushed it back by seven months to May 6, 2022. A ton of news came out of Disney's Investor Day including trailers for Marvel's upcoming shows Loki and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, so be sure to click those titles to check out jaw-dropping footage from each.