Taika Waititi says he joined MCU because he was poor, had no interest in Thor
Taika Waititi says he never read Thor comics as a kid.
In a recent episode of the SmartLess podcast, Taika Waititi, the director of Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder, revealed that he initially had no interest in joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as a director. Waititi, known for his work on films like What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, shared that financial constraints and the need to support his growing family led him to accept the directorial role for Thor: Ragnarok.
"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,'" Waititi candidly admitted.
Saying that the Thor franchise was not the most popular within the MCU, Waititi took on the challenge, despite never having read Thor comics as a child. He delved into research to familiarise himself with the character and the source material.
"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,'" he remarked.
The end result was Thor: Ragnarok,a film that not only exceeded expectations but also earned critical acclaim, grossing $853 million worldwide. Despite the film's success, Waititi stated that he accepted the project at a time when he believed there was "no place left" for Marvel to go with the franchise.
Following the positive reception of Ragnarok, Waititi returned to direct Thor: Love and Thunder,which, despite mixed reviews, still performed well at the box office, grossing $760 million globally. However, Waititi has indicated that he is unlikely to direct a potential Thor 5 due to a busy schedule over the next six years.
In a recent interview with Business Insider, Waititi expressed his fondness for Marvel and its star, Chris Hemsworth, asserting that he harbours no ill-will if the studio chooses another director for future Thor films.