Rumor: Marvel Developing ‘Thor 5’ Without Taika Waititi, Search For Replacement Director Currently Ongoing
In what, if true, could only be described as a positive turn for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a new rumor suggests that Thor 5 has begun development, albeit without the God of Thunder’s most recent steward, Taika Waititi.
This particularly hopeful whisper was first raised on October 26th, courtesy of a post made by noted scooper Daniel ‘DanielRPK’ Richtman to his personal Patreon account.
As relayed to the public by a number of prominent Twitter news accounts including @ThorUpdate, The HollywoodHandle, and ComicBook.com’s Phase Zero, the scooper noted that not only had Marvel recently turned their attentions to continuing Thor’s solo series, but that the studio was also searching for a new director to helm its next entry project.
Notably, while Richtman did not explicitly mention the Ragnarok and Love & Thunder director by name, his mention that Marvel is looking for someone new to tackle Thor’s story implies that Waititi’s time with the franchise – at least for the time being – is over.
While it is currently unknown what exact plans, if any, Waititi had already drawn up for a potential third date with the Golden Avenger, according to the director himself, he felt, “What is left to do with him? 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.”
“I don’t think we can have a villain that’s weaker than Hela,” he opined while speaking to Marvel for their Thor: Love and Thunder – The Official Movie Special Book. “I feel like we need to step up from there and add a villain that’s somehow more formidable.”
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.”
While Waititi’s exit from the MCU may come as a disappointment to his fans, this news ostensibly comes as a boon to Thor actor himself Chris Hemsworth, who previously made it clear that his return to his iconic role was dependent on whether or not the character could be taken in a “drastically different” direction.
Asked “Where do you go with Thor at this point” by entertainment reporter Josh Horowitz during a November 23rd appearance on his Happy Sad Confused podcast, Hemsworth asserted, “I think, you look at Thor and Thor: The Dark World, and they were quite similar. Ragnarok, Love and Thunder, similar. I think it’s about reinventing him.”
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“I think I’ve had such a unique opportunity with Infinity War and Endgame to do very drastic things with the character – I enjoy that, you know,” he continued. “I like keeping people on their toes. It keeps me invested. I’ve said this before but when it becomes too familiar, I think there’s a risk in getting lazy, because then you go ‘Eh, I know what I’m doing.’”
“So I don’t know,” he concluded his answer. “I mean, I don’t even know if I’m invited back, but if I was, I think it would have to be a drastically different version, in tone, in everything, just for my own sanity.”
As of writing, Marvel has yet to provide any official confirmation regarding either Thor 5‘s existence or its potential production team.
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