Sometimes, even when you’re part of the MCU, your work can surprise you. Taika Waititi, director of action movie Thor: Love and Thunder, actually impressed himself by the end result. Some parts were just as he imagined, though.
“It’s a fantastic film. I don’t try to control my films, or how they turn out,” Waititi told Empire. “I sort of let them appear to me. And with this film, I’m like, ‘Hey, you’re kind of cooler than the thing I was originally hoping to make.’ Tonally it’s where I’ve always wanted it.” Obviously, the director of the fantasy movie is hardly going to play down his achievements in promotion, but saying some aspects turned out better than expected is welcome candor.
Waititi is famously improvisational as a director, riffing through dialogue beats and action on the day to allow spontaneity over adhering rigidly to the script. It helps that he tends to write his own screenplays, allowing him to write to his own strengths as a storyteller and collaborator when it comes to communicating with the cast and crew.
Waititi’s second MCU movie, Thor: Love and Thunder promises a cosmic tale of mythology and sci-fi intertwined. For this outing, Chris Hemswoth’s God of Thunder is joined by the Guardians of the Galaxy, friends he might need as he faces Gorr, the God Butcher, played by Christian Bale.
Besides all that, the star of the publicity thus far has been Natalie Portman as the Mighty Thor. The first trailer gave us a look at Portman in full armour, wielding Mjolnir, and images since show bother herself and Thor decked out in the finest chest plates and capes in the universe for whatever foes might come their way.
If we were Gorr, we’d be worried. But we’re not, and Waititi’s comments have made extra sure all we feel is excitement. The Thor: Love and Thunder release date is set for July