Being an actor or filmmaker attached to a high-profile project, such as a Marvel or a Star War can frequently be a nightmare, let’s be honest. The fervent fandoms have strong opinions from the jump, and they will let their feelings be known on social media before a single frame of a movie or TV show has been shot.
When Taika Waititi was first attached to direct Thor: Ragnarok, he was no exception, and immediately came under flack from online trolls. It must be remembered that at the time, Waititi only had a few independent New Zealand-based comedies to his name – Eagle vs Shark, Boy, What We Do in the Shadows, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
Since Ragnarok, Waititi has been attached to many high-profile projects, including a Star Wars film, a Roald Dahl TV series, and an adaptation of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s The Incal. But he told Stephen Colbert; “When I did Ragnarok, there were a few people who didn’t know what I did and what I’ve done before, and they said ‘Oh, he’s gonna ruin it!'”
Waititi chose to troll them right back; “I like to listen to the fans and then troll them back, because it just brings me some joy in my life. I have many joys in my life, my kids, and trolling fans,” he joked. “I would write back ‘Oh, I’m gonna ruin it, alright! 100 percent!’ And then I would write back ‘You don’t know what you want until I give it to you!’ and stuff like that.”
Waititi has also experienced the more positive side of fandom, with the heart-warming reaction to HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death on social media. Thor: Love and Thunder will be out on July 8, and it features Natalie Portman’s Mighty Thor, so Waititi will have to brace himself for the online trolls once more (probably).
While we wait for more Thor (and Gorr), check out our guide to where the cast of Thor are now and the best Chris Hemsworth movies.