In the same way that Captain America: The Winter Soldier totally changed audiences' perspectives on the titular hero, so does Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok significantly change the God of Thunder. While the first two movies in the series were more about dramatic fantasy with a touch of humor, the second sequel doubles-down on the latter and paints it all in bright, vivid colors. It's a fantastic reinvention for the character and how we view him -- and I recently learned from the director that he and his star already have an understanding of what they would love to do with Thor next:
I haven't had any conversations [about Thor 4] other than... Chris and I have talked about the fact that we want to work together again, and how we feel like doing another Thor would be fun. Because we now know the character so well, and we feel like we've got a real grasp on it. We understand where we want to... not where we'd want to go story-wise, but how we would approach the character, and how much fun we could have with it. I feel like I'd love to work with Mark again at some point. I think really the sort of gist of it, that I will comment, is that I definitely would be keen to work with Marvel again.
Prior to working on Thor: Ragnarok, Taika Waititi only directed much smaller films, like What We Do In The Shadows and Hunt For The Wilderpeople, but clearly he had a great time working in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to the point where he definitely wants to do more. I had the pleasure of sitting down with the filmmaker for an extended sitdown earlier this week, and it was at the end of our conversation that I brought up the potential for the future. Curious about his recent comments regarding Thor 4, I asked if he had been having any active conversations with Marvel -- and while he said no, he did explain what he would like to do in the future.
Of course, Taika Waititi wouldn't be the first director to take on a second Marvel Studios movie -- and, in fact, would be the sixth (if you count the Russo brothers as a team and Peyton Reed's work on the upcoming Ant-Man And The Wasp). When Marvel recognizes that a filmmaker is a proper fit for the material they are working with, they tend to make the right choice and rehire them for another production. Given the buzz that currently surrounds Thor: Ragnarok, which is holding a 96% rating at present on Rotten Tomatoes, it's easy to imagine the comic book company rewarding Waititi for his input.
It's obviously exciting that Taika Waititi and Chris Hemsworth have been talking about what they would love to do in another Thor title, but the big road block that currently exists is the fact that we have no idea if another Thor title is even being planned by Marvel. The studio has said repeatedly that they are viewing Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4 as capstone projects for everything that we've seen in the last nine years of blockbusters, and there has been suggestion that the franchise will look completely different when it finally enters Phase 4. This could mean that the Thor movies end as a trilogy, leaving Waititi without a Thor 4 to direct, but that doesn't mean that the director couldn't work with the character again in an alternate project.
Firm answers about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe may not be delivered until after Avengers 4 is out, meaning the summer of 2019 -- but you can be sure that we'll be keeping a close eye out for them, and hoping that Taika Waititi winds up a part of the equation. Meanwhile, you'll be able to catch his latest work in theaters when Thor: Ragnarok hits wide release on November 3rd.
You can pre-order your tickets for opening weekend here.
