Of all the film series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Thor franchise is arguably the one that’s evolved the most over time. Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 entry kicked it off with a somewhat Shakespearean-esque tale and motif. And later on, Game of Thrones alum Alan Taylor injected the 2013 sequel, The Dark World, with an aesthetic that felt like a much lighter variation of the HBO show. The God of Thunder truly seemed to find his footing, however, when indie director Taika Waititi was hired to direct 2017’s Ragnarok. At the time, Waititi seemed like an unusual choice for the gig and, now, he’s explained why he took on the job despite having had “no interest” prior to landing the movie. And his answer is very relatable.
The New Zealand native had a few notable films to his name before he opted to enter the massive MCU. What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople were arguably his most acclaimed productions at that time. While those films are delightfully quirky and entertaining, they don’t exactly scream “superhero epic.” Taika Waititi recently appeared on the SmartLess Podcast, during which co-host Jason Bateman asked him what prompted him to make the jump to the Disney-owned studio. When responding, Waititi spelled out a clear reason – money:
You know what? I had no interest in doing one of those films. It wasn’t on my whole 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.'
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Some may scoff at the notion of the Boy director only choosing to put his mark on the massive IP because of cash. However, is it really so bad that he simply wanted to provide some sort of financial cushion for himself and his kids? A number of people can probably relate to such a desire. At the end of the day, it’s wonderful whenever a filmmaker gets to work on something they’re passionate about. They also have to eat, though, and what’s proven to be true time and time again is that Disney is a company that’ll feed you, financially speaking.
Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios’ gamble on Taika Waititi eventually proved to be beneficial. Thor: Ragnarok was a smash hit at the box office when it opened in theaters in November 2017 and set new monetary benchmarks for the Chris Hemsworth-led series. It’s honestly somewhat amazing that the cosmic romp worked as well as it did, especially considering Waititi’s lack of knowledge at the onset. In the past, Waititi explained what he thought he could bring to the fictional universe and, during his recent podcast interview, he discussed how he got honest about trying to prep for the threequel:
And ‘Thor,’ let’s face it, it was probably the least popular franchise. I had 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. … I think there was no place left for them to go with that. I thought, ‘Well, they’ve called me in, this is really the bottom of the barrel.
The filmmaker also explained that he viewed the Asgardian prince as a “rich kid,” who happened to live in space - which isn’t really inaccurate. For the most part, fans seemed to take to his funnier take on the hero in Ragnarok. His second MCU effort, Thor: Love and Thunder, received more mixed reviews, though. The film – which made Chris Hemsworth one of the highest paid MCU actors – was chastised for having an uneven story, subpar visual effects and more.
Taika Waititi recently told Business Insider that a fifth movie in the series is in active development, though he apparently won’t be involved. That may be for the best as, if the Asgardian warrior is returning for another bout, it may be time for a creative refresh. Also, Waititi has more than left a lasting mark on the films – and surely earned enough cash so that he can keep feeding his kids and making movies.
The director’s latest film, Next Goal Wins, is now playing in theaters alongside other 2023 new movie releases. You can also stream the Thor movies and other MCU installments using a Disney+ subscription.
