Recently, the Marvel community was shocked to hear that Taika Waititi, the director of Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder, won’t return to direct Thor 5. While Love and Thunder wasn’t very well-received, Waititi’s Ragnarok is widely considered the best Thor film in the franchise. Therefore, fans were surprised to hear him leaving the helm.
Earlier this week, Taika Waititi once again rubbed salt in the wound of Marvel fans, as he revealed the shocking reason why he joined the MCU in the first place. Let’s see what the director has to say in this article.
#1. Taika Waititi Joined The MCU For The Money
Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Filmagic
Speaking on the Smartless podcast, Waititi revealed that he only joined the MCU back then for the money. At the time, the director’s family just welcomed another member, and he desperately needed money to raise his newborn.
Meanwhile, the MCU back then was still in its golden era, with every title guaranteed to be a box office hit. It was too good of an opportunity for Waititi to pass up. Here’s everything the director had to say:
"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.”
#2. He Also Admitted That He Was Never A Thor’s Fan To Begin With
Source: Marvel
Source: Marvel
“And 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."
From this comment, we can see the little love Waititi has for Thor as a character, to the point that he doesn’t feel any charm from the Asgardian, even when he has grown up. He also doesn’t understand the hype around the character.
#3. What’s The Community’s Reaction Regarding Waititi’s Comments?
Source: Marvel
Source: Marvel
On the other hand, the rest of the community came out to defend Waititi, believing that at least the director was honest about his motive, and the reason was also very understandable. It’s great if you love the character you’re working with, but first and foremost, every single person in the world need to make a living, and Waititi isn’t an exception.
The fandom also expressed some respect for Waititi, as for a person who doesn’t love Thor as he appears to be, he sure has created one heck of a masterpiece in Thor: Ragnarok, the best installment in the entire franchise.
#4. How Waititi’s Lack of Love For Thor Changed The Franchise For The Better
Source: Marvel
Waititi was right about one thing, though: Compared to Captain America or Iron Man’s franchises, while the characters are interesting on their own, Thor’s storyline seems to lack the charm that draws the audience to the theaters. In fact, the God of Thunder seemed to shine brighter in crossover movies like The Avengers rather than his own solo titles, which was a problem for Marvel.
However, when Waititi took on the mantle to direct Thor: Ragnarok, he changed the franchise’s direction in a much more comedic and nonchalant path. Of course, the jokes were a bit overdone in Love and Thunder, but it worked surprisingly well with Ragnarok, making it one of the most solid MCU titles ever.
Source: Marvel
By making Thor a more comedy-oriented character instead of the “space-dwelling rich kid” like in the prequels, Waititi helps him to lean more on his human side, while also making full use of Chris Hemsworth’s talent for comedy. Therefore, it’s safe to say that due to Waititi’s lack of love for the character, he has changed the MCU Thor for the better, and entirely rekindled the love for the entire franchise.
Do you agree with Waititi’s statement about Thor as a character? Do you think his reason is justified? Tell us more below in the comments.