When it was announced that Marvel was eyeing up and coming writer/director Taika Waititi to tackle the third Thor installment, many fans were surprised at the choice. After all, although Waititi has been steadily building an impressive resume behind the camera with his work on films such as What We Do in the Shadows and Boy, he hadn’t yet become a household name. In fact, at that point, Waititi’s most recognized film was the highly enjoyable What We Do in the Shadows, and that was a far cry from what one would consider when looking at potential directors to take over the Thor franchise. And yet, it’s hard to deny now that Waititi is quite honestly a fantastic choice to helm Ragnarok. He brings a unique tone to all of his films, injecting plenty of humor while still managing to pay attention to both the stories and characters at hand.
Still, jumping from films such as What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople into a studio film like Thor: Ragnarok is a rather terrifying leap. While talking to the folks over at Indiewire, Waititi admitted that he was initially anxious about tackling such a massive gig. Especially since it meant giving up some control.
“Part of it was that it interrupts all the other things I want to do, part of it was just the idea of it. I’m a little bit of a control freak and I like to kind of control everything, and certainly on a studio film that’s not the case,” Waititi said. “Once I got over that, I realized this is actually going to be a really cool exercise in directing and making a big film. And why not? It’s such a great opportunity to experience what it’s like.”
However, Waititi is quick to acknowledge that to be given the keys to something as massive as Ragnarok is a rare opportunity that he couldn’t pass up, which is part of the reason he ultimately decided to say yes to Marvel’s offer.
“To be given that opportunity is very rare, especially for someone from where I’m from,” he said, “so I really felt that I should do it.”
Looking back at the Thor films, which are often viewed as the worst of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they’ve admittedly been a bit over the place regarding tone. While the first film definitely had a lighter feel to it, the second one was considerably more serious in tone with bits of humor injected throughout. With Waititi on board, one would assume this means the third installment will have a lighter tone to it. However, Waititi promises to bring more than just laughs to Ragnarok. He intends to, of course, offer some humor, but ultimately wants to focus on the characters – something he considers to be his strength.
“As much as I love action and spectacle, I think my strength and what I’m really interested in mostly is character,” he said. “It’s a hard balance, because you’ve still got to blow shit up.”
If you have the time, make sure to read through the entire interview over at Indiewire. It’s a fantastic interview with an exciting director. If you still have reservations about Waititi’s hiring? (In which case, really?!) This interview should ease your concerns and make you excited at the prospect of what Waititi can bring to a film such as Thor: Ragnarok.
Thor: Ragnarok is set to hit movie screens on November 3rd, 2017.
Source: Indiewire.