Although there is no dearth of villains and anti-heroes with tragic backstories in the MCU — take Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) in “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, for instance — Gorr is an extremely compelling character right up till the end. Gorr’s comics origins are far more steeped in pain and loss when compared to “Love and Thunder,” as he experiences one personal loss after another, including the untimely death of his parents and two of his children. It is only when his last-surviving child, Agar, dies in his arms, that Gorr renounces the ways of his culture, for which he is ostracized by his community and branded as a corrupted soul.

Even though “Love and Thunder” does not delve deep into Gorr’s past, the opening scene with his daughter functions as reason enough for him to embark on his mission to erase divinity. Not only is he ridiculed, but also rebuked for his expectation of repairing an eternal reward for his dedication to the gods. Already on the edge of anguish when he learns that the gods do not care about him, or anyone, the lure of the Necrosword grants him the powers to become the aggressor — Gorr transforms from a powerless, broken being at the mercy of the gods into being one that can take down the mightiest of immortals.

Gorr’s character is worth empathizing with to a certain extent, until, of course, he decides to use Asgardian children as bait to lure Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) Stormbreaker into the picture. Gorr’s hatred for the gods is proven right during the Zeus scene in Omnipotence city, as the Greek thunder god cares more about his image as opposed to protecting endangered children, choosing to be cocooned in complacency instead of jumping into action. There are exceptions, of course, as not all gods choose to react that way — a prime example being Thor himself, who has always cared about people, having saved the Earth on many counts just because he wanted to.