Christian Bale has made his mark in the MCU in a terrifying way as the villainous Gorr the God Butcher. What other movies have him as the villain?

Taika Waititi's latest addition to the MCU, Thor: Love and Thunder, is finally out in the theatres. Early reviews are already out and one of the biggest standouts is none other than Christian Bale as the film's main antagonist, Gorr The God Butcher.

The Oscar winner has certainly built up quite the filmography since his early days as a child actor back in the '80s. As an adult, his portrayals have ranged from the most physically demanding to the occasional depraved. With his turn as the villain Gorr the God Butcher being recently added to the list, his other villainous performances should also be checked out.

From David Ayer, Harsh Times is an ambitious film that attempts to explore various issues at once, ranging from veteran's affairs to U.S. Government relations with Latin-American communities. At the head of this film is none other than Christian Bale as troubled Army-Ranger veteran, Jim Davis as he attempts to return to civilian life.

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Although Jim is the "protagonist" of this film, his actions throughout can be considered villainous. After failing to get a job with the LAPD, he allows himself to be used as a tool by the Department of Homeland Security to disrupt Latin-American communities. Aside from its "rotten" score, Christian Bale's portrayal of a broken man who only knows violence after his war experiences were highly praised.

Dick Cheney is easily one of the most controversial politicians in U.S. history to date. So when it came to casting the infamous Vice-President for Vice, it seemed that the only one to translate the necessary layers of Cheney's character was Christian Bale himself. In one of his more physically demanding performances, Bale gained over 40 lbs and shaved his head for the role, according to Insider.

Throughout the film, Bale bares it all as the real-life stone-faced politician as he pursues power through any means necessary. In one of his best movies, director Adam McKay frames this tale as the modern equivalent to Shakespeare's Macbeth, and that is best utilized in the amazing chemistry between Bale and Amy Adams in their second film together since American Hustle. Vice offers audiences what real-world villains are capable of as well as the dimensions they carry, and that wouldn't have been possible to portray without Bale's involvement.

In John Singleton's film, Shaft, Christian Bale finds himself portraying Walter Wade Jr. one of the sleaziest racist rich playboys to inhabit New York. His brutal murder of Mekhi Phifer's character is the inciting incident that sets off the rest of the story.

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While not the only villain in Shaft, Bale's performance contrasts well with Jeffrey Wright's wonderful portrayal of Dominican gangster Peoples Hernandez. While Peoples is supposed to represent the more urban criminal elements, it's Bale's Wade that becomes the representative of racist real estate policies and upper-class attitudes that harm minority communities in the cities they share. Wade is an unforgiving piece of slime, and Christian Bale is perfect at making audiences actively hate his character with a burning passion.

Michael Mann is no stranger to the gangster flick, but Public Enemies is his first steeped in history. Set during the years of the Great Depression, the film follows the crime spree of the Robin Hood-like gangster, John Dillinger played by Johnny Depp. And the one in pursuit of the film's protagonist is Christian Bale's FBI agent Melvin Purvis.

Related: The 10 Most Memorable Characters From Michael Mann Movies

Throughout the film, Purvis grapples with how the impoverished communities idolize the notorious criminal while trying to uphold J. Edgar Hoover's vision for the Bureau. While not a villain necessarily, he serves the antagonistic role to Dillinger and his cohorts wonderfully. Through a haze of bullets, Bale's Agent Purvis is relentless to the point his actions could be seen as no different than those he is in pursuit of.

While the jury is still out for Thor: Love and Thunder, its tomato meter score is a "fresh" 69% for the time being. But if there is one thing that is ringing out in the reviews is the film's main villain Gorr the God-Butcher. It's an apt title for one of Marvel's recently created foes and the one to masterfully bring him to life is none other than Christian Bale himself.

Bale stands alongside Michael B. Jordan, Josh Brolin, and Tom Hiddleston as one of the best actors to portray villains in the MCU. The MCU is notorious for having a "villain problem" since Phase 1 and thankfully Christian Bale's performance and Taika Waititi's writing have broken that mold and gave audiences an incredible villain to face off everyone's favorite God of Thunder.

One of the best movies to come out in the early years of the 21st century, American Psycho is an intricate tale of the levels of depravity one may yield. Patrick Bateman has become synonymous with the maddening world of corporate greed and none of that may have been possible had Christian Bale not been given the part of Bateman instead of Leonardo DiCaprio as the studios had originally planned, according to the Independent.

From running down hallways wielding a chainsaw to giving Pitchfork-like reviews of Huey Lewis & The News before dicing up someone with an ax, Patrick certainly earns his moniker as an unlikeable character that viewers cannot help but love. Christian Bale offers up one of his most iconic performances of all time that still resonates with audiences today. A villainous character who hopes to "stand out" amongst his yuppie colleagues and Bale nails it to a "T" with his unhinged portrayal of one of cinema's best serial killers.

Next: 10 Times Thor Lost In Marvel Comics

Douglas is a list writer for Screen Rant covering topics such as anime, schlocky action flicks, and the occasional list of obscure television. On the side, Douglas hosts a film commentary podcast with his friend Jeremy titled Post Audio where they discuss their favorite films that a general audience member should see at least once. Hailing from the water-wonderland of Michigan, Douglas would discover his love for film at an early age when they first watched the first frame of a Sergio Leone western to the vibrant animation associated with a Ghibli adventure. They would take this love and put it to words when developing a knack for screenwriting and carry it to the higher education he would receive down under at Ohio University with a Bachelor's in Communication for Screenwriting/Producing.