Christian Bale’s 2025 movie The Bride! will make good on the promise of one of his divisive superhero movies. The Warner Bros. movie, which is a retelling of the iconic 1935 classic The Bride of Frankenstein, is one of the latest attempts to revamp a legendary Universal Monsters property. While Universal’s efforts at creating an interconnected universe have stalled out repeatedly with movies including Dracula Untold and 2017’s The Mummy, they found success with Leigh Whannell’s 2020 modernization of The Invisible Man, leading several similar standalone movies to go into development.

This includes the upcoming The Bride!, which went into production in March 2024 under the auspices of writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal. In addition to featuring Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s Monster, the movie stars Jessie Buckley as the titular Bride. Also included in the cast are a variety of celebrated actors including Penélope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, Julianne Hough, John Magaro, Jeannie Berlin, and Jake Gyllenhaal (who is Maggie’s younger brother).

Christian Bale’s Role As Frankenstein’s Monster In The Bride Can Redeem His Gorr The God Butcher Character

The Bride Is The Clear Next Step After Bale’s Thor: Love And Thunder Villain

Bale’s role as Frankenstein’s Monster can help make good on the promise of his appearance in the Thor: Love and Thunder cast as the 2022 Marvel Cinematic Universe movie’s arresting villain Gorr the God Butcher. Bale’s ever-shifting, eerie performance was a highlight of the movie, but it was a one-and-done character that will likely will not reappear in the franchise. The character was just one facet of a movie stuffed with material, and the depth of Bale’s performance could have been served well by more time spent with the villain, either in that movie or a follow-up.

Frankenstein’s Monster will not be the same type of monstrous character as Gorr, who was a simple man who became monstrous due to a desire for revenge. However, the character gives Bale another chance to sink his teeth deep into a monstrous role and push the envelope of his performance style even further. It also offers him a rare opportunity to return to the horror genre more than two decades after his performance as the iconic yuppie serial killer Patrick Bateman in 2000’s American Psycho.

What To Expect From Christian Bale’s Role In The Bride

There Are Distinct Similarities Between Frankenstein’s Monster And Gorr The God Butcher

So far, not many details have been revealed about how Frankenstein’s monster will figure into The Bride! However, a first-look image has showcased the design of the character, which is somewhat similar to Gorr the God Butcher with pale skin covered in markings. The pose he takes in the image also seems to imply that he is a more sensually-oriented version of the character, though the original literary character’s inner turmoil remains.