Taika Waititi Says He Won’t Direct ‘Thor 5’

Rumor has it that Thor 5 is in the works—but if it happens, it’ll have a very different tone than its predecessors.

During an interview for Taika Waititi’s upcoming film Next Goal Wins, Business Insider asked the director about any possible involvement in Thor 5, since Waititi directed the third and fourth Thor movies. “I know that I won’t be involved,” Waititi said. “I’m going to concentrate on these other films that I’ve signed on for.”

Those other films include Klara and the Sun, The Incal, and an as-yet untitled Star Wars movie.

In the meantime, there are no details yet on when a possible Thor 5 movie could come out, or what it might look like without Waititi’s involvement.

Waititi first took the helm of the Thor franchise with 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. The first two Thor films are widely considered low points for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Chris Hemsworth admitting that he found himself “bored” playing the God of Thunder in Thor: The Dark World. However, when Waititi came on board, he revitalized the franchise, taking the sometimes dour tone of the first two films and reimagining Thor as a comedic hero. Thor: Ragnarok boasted bright visuals, a riotous supporting cast, and endless quips and gags for Thor himself.

But while Thor: Ragnarok earned both critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase, Waititi’s next installment, Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), faltered, with some critics and fans complaining that the film pushed the comedic element too far.

What will Thor 5 look like without Taika Waititi?

At this point, it’s almost hard to imagine a Thor film without Waititi’s guiding hand. Where does Thor go from here?

Luckily, Marvel has plenty of options for a good story. At the end of Thor: Love and Thunder, Thor adopts the daughter of the movie’s villain, Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale). He also attracts the ire of Zeus (Russell Crowe), who sends his son Hercules (Brett Goldstein) after Thor. That ending—along with the multiversal war looming over the horizon—leaves plenty of threads for the next filmmaker to pick up.

Will Thor even star in a solo outing, or will his next appearance, confirmed by a post-credits tag in Love and Thunder, be folded into the next Avengers film? We’ll have to wait and see.

(via Business Insider, featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)