Visual artist Aleksi Briclot shares early concept art for Thor: Love and Thunder’s Gorr design, revealing a more comics-accurate take. The Thor 4 villain, originally created by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribić, first appeared in January 2013’s Thor: God of Thunder #2. Known as Gorr the God Butcher, he grew up on a planet plagued by disaster and scarcity and was raised to worship the Gods. After the deaths of his family members, he renounces his faith and plans to seek revenge on his people’s so-called protectors. To accomplish this, he bonds with a powerful weapon—All-Black the Necrosword—and sets off on a quest to kill all the Gods, eventually putting him in Thor’s path.

Portrayed by acting powerhouse Christian Bale in Thor: Love and Thunder, Gorr shared some similarities with his comics design, including the character’s pasty white skin, pointed teeth, and yellow irises. However, he was given a much more humanoid design for the movie, as opposed to the more alien look (including tentacles and a flattened nose) from his comics run. Notably, Gorr’s less human attributes in the film come only after he’s bonded with the Necrosword. Also, his comics wardrobe includes simply a black cape and black underwear offered by the Necrosword. In the film, Gorr sports a long white cape that doubles as a shawl and hood, covering most of his body and often his head, and a tunic underneath. 

Related: Is Christian Bale's Gorr The God Butcher A Symbiote?

Early concept art, shared by Briclot via Instagram, offers a look at a Gorr design that is much more in line with his comics appearance. In the images revealed by the visual artist, the God Butcher’s face and head are much more reptilian, and the character’s tentacles are restored. The concept art also shows a more comics accurate take on the character’s physique and creates the illusion of nudity with torso armor that matches the character’s skin tone and mimics his Necrosword wardrobe.

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The concept art definitely shows a version of Gorr that comics enthusiasts may have been waiting for in the film. Though Gorr’s look and Bale’s performance were harrowing, drawing comparisons to Elizabeth Olsen’s horror-bent portrayal of the villainous Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, this concept art shows how much scarier he could have been. In his caption, Briclot mentions the reasons for some of the changes to the character’s appearance from the comics. It makes sense that Gorr's nudity presented a challenge and that attempts to flatten the nose to slits made him resemble Harry Potter villain Voldemort too closely. 

The realities of filming can sometimes be tough when it comes to maintaining the highest possible accuracy while bringing comics to life. And while Thor 4’s mixed critical reception has led some to question Gorr’s inclusion and use in the film, there’s no denying that Bale delivered a chilling performance and a powerful villain arc, something the MCU could always use more of. Filmmaking, especially at the level of a Hollywood blockbuster like Thor: Love and Thunder, is a collaborative process that involves plenty of opinions and visions. Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made and characters must be reimagined in order to tell the story as effectively as possible. Ultimately, the film version of Gorr may look different from his origins, but he stands out among MCU villains for his balance of eeriness, anger, and pathos.

Next: Gorr's Daughter Love Explained: Eternity Origin & Powers

Source: Aleksi Briclot/Instagram