Taika Waititi: The Clueless Maestro

Waititi, the acclaimed director of two Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) blockbusters, shared his initial reluctance to join the Marvel family. Despite his successful directorial ventures with "Thor: Ragnarok" in 2017 and "Thor: Love and Thunder" in 2022, Waititi confessed that directing a superhero film was never part of his artistic vision.

Waititi, an Oscar-winning director, admitted that his decision to direct "Ragnarok" was primarily driven by “financial necessity”. He had just welcomed his second child and saw the opportunity to direct a Marvel film as a means to provide for his growing family. "Truth be told, I never envisioned myself directing a superhero film," Waititi confessed on the podcast. "But with a growing family and financial pressures, I saw it as a golden opportunity to provide for my children."

Interestingly, Waititi also humorously noted that "Thor" was ,In a recent episode of the "SmartLess" podcast, arguably the least popular franchise in the MCU. He admitted that as a child, he never found 'Thor' comics appealing. Even after reading a 'Thor' comic as part of his research for the film, he found the character perplexing. The person who’s whole research was reading a 18 page comic told us that this was the least popular franchise. This is who they hired.

When asked about Marvel's decision to bring him on board, Waititi quipped, "I believe they had exhausted all other options. When they approached me, I thought, 'Well, they must be scraping the bottom of the barrel now.'" …..really?

This candid confession raises an interesting question: If the director himself was initially reluctant and seemingly uninterested in the project, why should the audience care about the character that he brings to life in the movies? It's a valid concern, especially considering that the director is the one who shapes the narrative and character development in a film. If he doesn't care about the character, how can he make the audience care?

In the world of social media, Waititi has stirred up a storm, with many expressing their discontent, interpreting his frankness as a blatant disregard for Thor's fans. Is this the same guy we want working on Star Wars?

In a  conversation with GamesRadar+, Waititi shared his vision, stating, "For the Star Wars universe to truly evolve, it must expand."

He elaborated, "I don't see my contribution to the Star Wars universe as a film that merely rehashes familiar elements like the blueprints of the Millennium Falcon or Chewbacca's lineage. While these aspects have their own standalone significance, I'm more inclined towards introducing fresh characters and broadening the narrative scope. Otherwise, it risks becoming a rather confined tale." Doesn't sound like a person who did any research, only time will tell.