Taika Waititi may not be returning to direct the next Thor movie – not that he’d be particularly heartbroken about this development considering recent statements. New rumors suggest that Marvel is looking at another director within the Disney stable to helm the next film in the longest running consistent MCU subseries.
Thor 5 is reportedly moving ahead without the director from the previous two films. Marvel Studios is rumored to be looking for a director with “more serious work”, with targeting computers locked onto Star Wars director Gareth Edwards.
The new rumor comes from reliable insider Daniel Richtman via his Patreon account. The rumor states that Marvel Studios wants a darker tone for Thor 5 in comparison to the previous two movies, which leaned towards comedic, and Edwards is being eyed to direct the fifth installment.
The director is best known for his work on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Godzilla, so he’s definitely got dark down. Edwards most recently directed The Creator, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi action film set in a future decimated by a nuclear detonation and war against AI. Not exactly laughs for the whole family.
Marvel Studios reportedly wants THOR 5 to have a darker tone in comparison to the last two Thor films
They’re currently looking for a director with “more serious work” – Gareth Edwards is one of the directors they’re looking at to direct the fifth installment
(via @DanielRPK) pic.twitter.com/TQrX9CaNDZ
— Thor Updates (@ThorUpdate) November 27, 2023
Waititi failed to impress fans with his most recent Thor movie. Thor: Love and Thunder was poorly received, with critics pointing to the execution and tone of the film being its negative points. Many believe that Marvel squandered an opportunity with Love and Thunder as Thor is one of the most popular superheroes within the Multiverse Saga.
Interestingly, Waititi talked about his time as a Marvel director just a few days ago. The filmmaker revealed on a new episode of the SmartLess podcast that he wasn’t interested in joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a director before Thor: Ragnarok. He said that he took the job because he was poor and it was a great opportunity to feed his children.
“You know what? I had no interest in doing one of those films,” Waititi said. “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.'”
Thor actor Chris Hemsworth previously said that he wants to return as Thor to end the series. The dark and serious tone suggested in the rumor goes well with Hemsworth’s criticism of Love and Thunder, saying that they had “too much fun” and the movie ended up being “too silly” for its own good.
A somber tone for Thor 5 would also mirror the ending of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, a film series that has been known for its silliness. Ending these on-going series would inevitably involve some manner of seriousness, as definitive endings beget.
Hopefully, Marvel will give Thor a fitting ending with the next installment. We are excited to see a farewell movie with Thor sailing off into the sunset. Or dying, maybe. However, we do want the God of Thunder to return in some capacity in future movies. Hemsworth is just too valuable to the MCU to be let go.
