Taika Waititi who is prominently known for directing Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 2017 Thor: Ragnarok and 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder is an exceptionally skilled filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose short film Two Cars, One Night earned him an Academy Award nomination in 2014. His directing credits also include 2019’s successful movie Jojo Rabbit in which he also starred in an imaginary character of Adolf Hitler.
The filmmaker-actor-comedian who is currently married to singer-actress Rita Ora is one of the most admired filmmakers in the industry and is often known for his comic timing. Taika Waititi recently addressed the real reason for him being behind the camera for Thor movies and it’s not what you might think it is. Let’s find out.
Taika Waititi says directing Thor: Ragnarok was never in his plan
Director Taika Waititi who directed 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, etc., recently shared on his appearance on the SmartLess podcast that directing Marvel movies was not on his card but he accepted the opportunity because the money was good and it was a great way to feed his kids. He explained,
“You know what? I had no interest in doing one of those films. 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’.”
Waititi continued to share,
“Thor, let’s face it-it was probably the least popular franchise. 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.”
Taika Waititi, Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson
When asked if the Marvel executives were scared to bring him to direct a movie, Waititi noted that according to him, there was no place left for the executives to go with that adding that he just thought that they had called him to direct one of their movies which means that this is the bottom of the barrel.
Thor: Ragnarok is probably considered one of the best Marvel movies compared to his next directed movie Thor: Love and Thunder which is known as one of the most polarizing movies of the franchise. Both movies performed well at the box office giving Chris Hemsworth the pump he needed as Thor.
Taika Waititi addresses rumors of returning to direct Thor 5
The director recently spoke to Business Insider while promoting his new movie Next Goal Wins, where he was asked about his involvement in Thor 5 to which he said that he is not attached to the project as of now. He said,
“I wouldn’t know if that’s accurate. I know that I won’t be involved. I am going to concentrate on these other films that I’ve signed on for.”
Taika Waititi is reportedly working on a Star Wars project, which is one of his highly awaited projects along with developing the adaptation of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s graphic novel The Incal. He however did acknowledge his love for the MCU and added;
Taika Waititi played Korg in Love and Thunder
“I love Marvel. I love working with them. I love Chris. I would never feel like they are cheating on me. 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.”
Chris Hemsworth also noted in his Vanity Fair cover story in 2022 that according to him, the upcoming Thor movie if there is going to be one, it’s going to close the book on the character adding that he feels that it’s going to be the finale but nothing has been officially said or discussed as of now.
