Taika Waititi Says Next ‘Thor’ Film Should Aim At “Carrying On With The Evolution Of The Character, But Still In A Very Fun Way”
Spencer Baculi
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In the opinion of Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love & Thunder director Taika Waititi, should Marvel ever choose to trot the God of Thunder back out for a fifth cinematic adventure, the resulting film’s main goal should be “carrying on with the evolution of the character, but still in a very fun way.”
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is splattered against the windshield of Valkyrie’s (Tessa Thomspon) ship in Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Marvel Entertainment
The man who ruined the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s incarnation of the Odinson shared his thoughts on the hero’s future while speaking to Marvel for their upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder – The Official Movie Special Book.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor in Marvel Studios’ THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Per excerpts of the behind-the-scenes guide provided by Screenrant, faced with the question of “What is left to do with him?”, Waititi asserted, “It’s got to be something that feels like it’s carrying on with the evolution of the character, but still in a very fun way and still giving him things to come up against that feel like they’re building on the obstacles that he has to overcome.”
To this end, the Green Lantern (2011) actor – yes, really – then asserted, “I don’t think we can have a villain that’s weaker than Hela. I feel like we need to step up from there and add a villain that’s somehow more formidable.”
Hela (Cate Blanchett) raids Asgard’s armory in Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Marvel Entertainment
Though the director did not name any specific threats who he felt could fill this role, he would go on to note that Thor’s character is strongly rooted in “the mythology that he originates from”, and as such could face “more and more outlandish and crazy beasts, monsters and aliens”.
“So,” Waititi concluded his thoughts, “there’s a fun element to him and he has a casualness and a sort or swagger about him when he visits these worlds and encounters these aliens that I don’t think you’d get when it’s an earthling traveling through space exploring the universe.”
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) split kicks a pair of Booskan speeders in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), Marvel Entertainment via Blu-ray
Unfortunately, while Waititi’s sentiments sound reasonable at face value, fans should take specific note of his assertion that a potential Thor 5 should “[carry] on with the evolution of the character”.
Where once Thor was the classic archetype of a brash prince who needed to learn humility ahead of his destiny as king, thanks to Waititi’s proud disregard for the source material and his incessant need to subvert audience expectations at all costs, the hero is now little more than a defanged joke whose entire existence has been rendered nearly pointless thanks to him having given up his position as Asgard’s ruler to Valkyrie and Love and Thunder having established that his powerset is non-unique, transferable, and able to be wielded by literal children.
As such, should Golden Avenger continue in his current Waititi-led direction – as of writing, there are no confirmed plans for a Thor 5, nor has the director signed on for any additional Marvel projects – one can only imagine how much more damage would be done to his character.
Admitting that Loki has been right all along? Officially handing over the title of Thor to Valkyrie? Abandoning Gorr’s daughter because he doesn’t feel worthy of being a parent? When it comes to Waititi, the subversive possibilities are terrible and endless.
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