Christian Bale would make a much better Dario Agger than Beta Ray Bill on 'Thor: Love and Thunder'
While he has not yet been confirmed for the film, the internet is all abuzz with the news that Christian Bale is in talks for 'Thor: Love and Thunder'.
Rumors and discussions are already swirling in regards to which character he is likely to play, and many are excited at the idea of him finally bringing Beta Ray Bill to the silver screen.
As great as it would be to see the cosmic Korbonite brought to life, 'Thor: Love and Thunder' doesn't need a third hammer-wielder detraction from what should be Jane Foster's (Natalie Portman) story. What Christian Bale would be perfect for, though, is the role of Darrio Agger, CEO of the most evil corporation in Marvel history.
Let's get this out of the way. Beta Ray Bill is a great character, and it would be fantastic to see a version of him in the MCU. Introduced in 1983 in 'The Mighty Thor' #337, Beta Ray Bill was the first person outside of Asgard who was worthy enough to lift Mjolnir.
Hailing from a race known as the Korbonites, he proved to be such a worthy warrior that Odin had another hammer crafted for Bill. Bill wields Stormbreaker, giving him powers equal to Thor, and he fights for justice throughout the galaxy with his sentient ship 'Skuttlebutt' by his side.
He is powerful, bizarre, and fascinating. And while that seems right in Taika Waititi's wheelhouse, giving him a smaller part would be a disservice to the character — and giving him a larger one would be a service to Jane Foster.
'Thor: Love and Thunder' is being set up as a Jane Foster movie. The title itself implies that it will be rekindling the romance between Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Jane, who was noticeably absent from 'Thor: Ragnorak.'
The movie's announcement came with the news that Jane Foster would be following her comic book counterpart in wielding Thor's legendary hammer and taking on Thor's mantle herself. If that's the movie Marvel's going with, then Bill is a story that's going to have to wait for another day.
Meanwhile, 'Thor: Love and Thunder' still needs a villain, and there's none better to ground Thor than CEO Dario Agger.
Introduced in Jason Aaron's epic run on 'Thor: God of Thunder', the character presented a unique challenge to both Jane Foster and Thor Odison. Despite his ability to turn into a minotaur, what makes Dario Agger a threat is the power he wields as CEO of Roxxon, an unscrupulous international organization. Agger never threatens Thor directly, but instead goes after the town of Broxton, Oklahoma, through entirely legal (if unethical) means. With the Asgardians now living on earth, as shown in 'Avengers: Endgame', they're vulnerable to the whims of the ultra-rich.
Bale would be perfect for the role, having performed in roles both sinister and unhinged. He would bring darkness to Dario Agger's arrogant swagger that could make for a compelling villain that ties Thor even closer to Midgard, his adopted realm after Asgard's destruction.
Co-creator Jason Aaron himself seems to agree with this idea, tweeting, "You know who's got my vote. 'Who Is Christian Bale Playing in THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER?'" He posted this with an image of Dario Agger.
There are, or course, a wealth of other characters from Marvel mythology for 'Thor: Love and Thunder' to draw from, and 'Thor: Ragnorak' was full of surprises. Bale, if confirmed for a role, may be playing someone completely unexpected. In the meanwhile, we can only wait for more news on this story to unfold.
'Thor: Love and Thunder' releases in theaters on November 5, 2021.
