What Really Attracted Taika Waititi To Direct Marvel's Thor
Perhaps one of the greatest plot twists in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was when it was announced that Taika Waititi would be taking over directorial duties for the third "Thor" movie. The filmmaker, then known for works like "What We Do in the Shadows," successfully reinvented the franchise with 2017's "Thor: Ragnarok." But while the movie turned out to be a success, some may wonder what drew Waititi to the project in the first place.
During an appearance on the "Smartless" podcast, Waititi revealed that he originally had no intention of doing any Marvel movie, let alone one of the "Thor" entries. However, certain personal obligations changed his stance. "It wasn't on my plan of 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,'" the director explained.
Waititi went on to note that he wasn't personally a fan of Thor as a character, but he felt that Marvel wasn't sure what to do with the franchise after the mixed reception toward "Thor" and "Thor: The Dark World." "I thought, 'Wow, they called me in, this really the bottom of the barrel for them,'" he said.
In the end, it turned out to be a mutually beneficial decision. Waititi was able to work on Thor with quite a bit of creative license and direct a hit blockbuster movie, while the "Thor" franchise was rejuvenated into one of the MCU's top strands.
Why did Waititi return for Thor: Love and Thunder?
While Taika Waititi becoming the director for "Thor: Ragnarok" was a bit of an unexpected turn for both the filmmaker and Marvel, fans know that the story didn't end there. Despite not originally planning on making any MCU films, Waititi returned after "Thor: Ragnarok" to direct its sequel "Thor: Love and Thunder." So, what got him back in the chair for the second time?
In an interview with the Associated Press, Waititi indicated that he had a good experience working with Marvel on "Thor: Ragnarok," leaving him more open to the idea of doing another one. "I worked with Marvel and I realized, well, there are ways you can work with studios where it doesn't have to be painful," he said.
It seems Waititi was also compelled by a vision he had for a potential "Thor" sequel. "I wanted to show him in a light that most Thor fans wouldn't really want if you were to tell them," the director explained. "If you were to say to them: 'Yeah, I'm going to make Thor in love,' it's probably the last thing that a Thor fan really wants to hear."
With both of his "Thor" films now in the rearview mirror, Waititi doesn't intend to return to direct "Thor 5." Nonetheless, he's still open to collaborating with Marvel on projects in the future. "We're in an open relationship and it's like, if they want to see other people I'm happy for that," he told Insider. "I'd still get back into bed with them one day."