When Taika Waititi jumped on board the Thor franchise with Ragnarok, audiences instantly loved the style and humor that the director brought to the world of Thor. It was definitely a new side of Thor that wasn’t present in Thor and Thor: The Dark World, but the film’s critical reception was highly favorable. Since then, Waititi’s star power only continued to rise thanks to Jojo Rabbit.
That Black Comedy based on the Caging Skies book by Christine Leunens scored him an Oscar win for Best Adapted Screenplay. The filmmaker was at an all-time high since it felt that Taika Waititi could do no wrong. Then Thor: Love & Thunder was released. Initially, audiences were excited about adding The Mighty Thor and Gorr The God Butcher. However, once the full film was released it was met with a mixed reception that borderlines on negative.
Since then, Chris Hemsworth has indicated that he wasn’t too fond of Thor: Love & Thunder. During his recent interview with ScreenRant, Taika teased the possibility of a fifth Thor film. The question is: Should the Oscar winner be the man who helms the next installment?
The Problem With Thor: Love & Thunder
Simply put, Thor: Love & Thunder was too goofy. That’s shocking since Gorr’s origin story comes from the death of his family. The character itself is pretty tragic and doesn’t particularly mesh well with goofy Thor. The same thing goes for Jane Foster, who’s dealing with Cancer. Plus, Thor is coming off a battle that had a significant effect on the entire MCU universe.
The story and journey of Thor looking to find himself are all good, but there needs to be a proper balance. Taka was able to do that with Jojo Rabbit effortlessly. Though there’s clear pitch-black humor in the film, series moments like Rosie’s death showcase that the filmmaker knows how to delicately dance between comedy and drama when it comes to serious topics.
Thor: Love & Thunder is not the worst entry in the MCU. It’s far from it. However, it could go down as the most disappointing. There was too much potential here that should’ve resulted in an excellent film. Gorr’s tragic story didn’t mesh well because it wasn’t given the proper focus that it deserved. Jane Foster’s becoming The Mighty Thor was extremely rushed and left a compelling journey on the table.
The Response To Thor: Love & Thunder Was Alarming
Thor: Love & Thunder made $760.9 million worldwide. That’s nearly $100 million less than Thor: Ragnarok, but the fourth entry is far from being a flop. Long-time fans of the MCU were vocal about the issues with Thor: Love & Thunder, but if fans truly hated the film then it would’ve gotten Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania numbers.
Still, the MCU is currently on a decline. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 showcased that fans are still on board with the brand. However, Quantumania and most of Phase Four highlighted the dismay over the string of quality that’s come out of the MCU lately. If Thor 5 is essentially the same as the previous entries in terms of tone, then it wouldn’t be a surprise if the fifth installment flopped hard.
Does That Mean Taika Waititi Shouldn’t Be The One To Direct Thor 5?
Taika Waititi does deserve to close out the trilogy but with restrictions. Kevin Feige should step in if he sees that the script has the same patterns as Love & Thunder. The character does need a change, but not just because audiences demand one. Thor needs some true growth for the character to not become stale and cringeworthy.
Ragnarok’s borderline character is a bit too silly as well, but it did ultimately find a proper balance. Plus, Thor wasn’t presented as an ego-centric and a moron for a good portion of the time. Taika Waititi has a certain style, so if Marvel truly wants to deviate from that style then it would be best to not hire the Oscar Winner.
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