Thor: Love and Thunder star Christian Bale criticizes the Marvel film’s overuse of green screen, calling it “the definition of monotony.”
Christian Bale hated how much green screen was used in Thor: Love and Thunder. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, the Oscar-winning actor made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Thor: Love and Thunder as Gorr the God Butcher, the film’s villain who, after the death of his daughter Love, acquires the Necrosword and pursues the extermination of all gods. Except Bale, Love and thunder starring Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Russell Crowe and Natalie Portman.
Like a big studio tent pole, Thor: Love and Thunder made extensive use of VFX and green screens to bring the fantastic environments and scenery to life. Green screens have become a common tool in big-budget Hollywood productions, but actors don’t always enjoy performing for them because there’s nothing practical to respond to, and it can make the job harder. Even a seasoned thespian like Bale could struggle, especially if they were new to green screens.
During a recent interview with GQ promoting his new movie Amsterdam, Bale reflected on his Marvel debut earlier this year and in particular his first extensive experience of acting on a green screen. The Thor: Love and Thunder star does not fondly remember the experience, calling it “the definition of monotonyRead what he said below:
That’s the first time I’ve done that. I mean, its definition is monotonous. You have good people. You have other actors who have a lot more experience in it than I do. Can you tell one day from another? No. Absolutely not. You have no idea what to do. I couldn’t even distinguish one phase from the other. They kept saying, “You’re on stage three.” Well, it’s like, “Which one is that?” “The blue one.” They say, “Yes. But you are on stage seven.” “Which one is that?” “The blue one.” I was like, “Uh, where?”
Why do Marvel movies use so much green screen?
The MCU’s excessive use of green screens is hardly a new criticism of the franchise. However, this was Bale’s first experience with this type of production and the first time he spoke about it publicly. Having no previous experience of acting for a green screen, it must have been difficult for Bale, who is more used to hands-on filmmaking. One of Bale’s most famous roles is Bruce Wayne/Batman in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, a director who does everything he can to avoid the use of green screen.
The main reason Marvel movies use so much green screen and CGI is that they can make movies faster, rather than having to build physically practical sets, which takes a lot of time. While veteran MCU actors like Hemsworth have become accustomed to acting on a green screen by now, it can be unnatural for newcomers like Bale who had no previous experience. Based on his comments, it doesn’t sound like he enjoyed his first green-screen acting experience. Even if Gorr didn’t die at the end of Thor: Love and ThunderBale probably wouldn’t be interested in returning to the MCU anyway.
Source: GQ
