Taika Waititi, the acclaimed filmmaker behind Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok” and the upcoming “Thor: Love and Thunder,” recently revealed on the “SmartLess” podcast that he initially had no interest in joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a director. However, circumstances led him to accept the gig, and it turned out to be a life-changing experience.
Waititi explained that he accepted the offer to direct “Thor: Ragnarok” because he was facing financial challenges after the birth of his second child. He saw it as an opportunity to provide for his family. “You know what? I had no interest in doing one of those films,” Waititi admitted. “It wasn’t on my plan for my career as an auteur. But I was poor, and I’d just had a second child, and I thought, ‘You know what, this would be a great opportunity to feed these children.’”
Furthermore, Waititi admitted that he had little knowledge of the “Thor” comics and considered it the least popular franchise. However, he saw this as a chance to explore something different. “And ‘Thor,’ let’s face it — it was probably the least popular franchise,” he shared. “I never read ‘Thor’ comics as a kid. That was the comic I’d pick up and be like ‘Ugh.’ And then I did some research on it, and I read one ‘Thor’ comic or 18 pages, or however long they are. I was still baffled by this character.”
Despite his reservations, Waititi’s unique vision and storytelling approach resonated with audiences. “Thor: Ragnarok” received critical acclaim and generated a whopping $853 million at the worldwide box office. Its successor, “Thor: Love and Thunder,” also achieved success, grossing $760 million worldwide. However, Waititi mentioned in a recent interview with Business Insider that he is unlikely to direct another “Thor” movie in the future due to his busy schedule.
Even though Waititi may not be involved in future “Thor” projects, he expressed his love for Marvel and his willingness to collaborate again. “I know that I won’t be involved,” he stated regarding potential directing duties for “Thor 5.” “I’m going to concentrate on these other films that I’ve signed on for… But I love Marvel, I love working with them. I love Chris.” He even likened their relationship to an open one, saying, “We’re in an open relationship, and it’s like if they want to see other people, I’m happy for that. I’d still get back into bed with them one day.”
As for Chris Hemsworth, who portrays Thor, he remains uncertain about his return to the Marvel Universe. Hemsworth wants any potential “Thor 5” to be unexpected and fresh, without reaching a point where fans become disinterested. “I’ve got to be careful how I word that because I have no idea what’s happening in the next phase,” he said. “There’s always conversations… Before anything is official, people are throwing around ideas. But officially, I don’t know.”
“Thor: Love and Thunder” received mixed reactions from Marvel fans, with some finding the humor to be too over-the-top. Hemsworth acknowledged that the crew had a lot of fun making the film and that it became a little too silly. However, in the “Thor: Love and Thunder The Official Movie Special” book, Waititi hinted at his plans for a potential fifth “Thor” movie. He wants to take the character’s development to the next level and introduce a villain who poses an even greater challenge than Hela.
All of the “Thor” movies are now available to stream on Disney+, allowing fans to enjoy the evolution of the character and the incredible work of Taika Waititi.
