From DC to Marvel: Christian Bale in talks to join Thor: Love and Thunder

It's time to crank up the old rumor mill, folks, because it's been reported by Collider that Christian Bale is in talks to join Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman for Marvel's THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER.

Now, before we venture any further, I ask that you take the following report with a god-sized grain of salt, as Marvel has yet to confirm Bale's involvement in any way.

Collider says that the Oscar-winning actor is poised to join the next Asgardian adventure, which is set to be helmed by THOR: RAGNAROK director Taika Waititi. In what we know so far about the follow-up to 2017's Ragnarok, is that Love and Thunder will see Hemsworth's Thor passing the hammer to Jane, and welcoming her as Marvel's Mighty Thor, aka The Goddess of Thunder. In recent years by way of Marvel Comics, Foster was deemed worthy of the hammer Mjolnir, a storyline that also finds the good doctor fighting an uphill battle with breast cancer. In the past Waititi has said that he will embrace Aaron's meticulously-crafted storyline, but was not be specific as to which elements, so as to avoid spoilers.

“We’re not sure if we’re going to do a complete lift of that whole storyline,” Waititi said while speaking with Variety in promotion for his latest film, JOJO RABBIT. “These things change through the shoot and even when we’re editing sometimes,” he said. “Like, ‘Let’s get rid of that storyline where she’s got breast cancer. We’ll change it to something else, or maybe she’s fine.'”

In the run of comics from writer Jason Aaron, artist Russell Dauterman, and color artist Matthew Wilson, Foster comes to wield Mjolnir after the original Thor becomes unworthy of the all-power weapon, and ventures into exile under the name Odinson. In her human form, Jane is battling cancer but becomes the Goddess of Thunder while gripping the hammer, even though using the weapon worsens her condition a great deal.

Tessa Thompson will reprise her role as Valkyrie for THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, while Waititi will return as the voice of Korg, a happy-go-lucky survivor of war among the stars. Obviously, we'll have to wait and see how and if this Bale casting business shakes out before we learn the nature of his participation.

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER is currently slated for a November 5, 2021 release in theaters.