Taika Waititi not only directed Thor: Ragnarok, but he also gave us the unexpected MCU icon that is Korg. The filmmaker and actor portrayed the Asgardian’s laidback pal in the movie, as well as turning up for a cameo in Avengers: Endgame. He’ll be back for a third outing as well in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder. And this time, we’ll even get a look at Kronan culture.
This news comes from Waititi himself, who recently held an Instagram Q&A. “We do touch on Korg’s culture,” the writer/director/performer promised in response to a fan question. “Where he’s from…. if you look in the comics about Kronans, it’s an interesting thing about where they come from.”
"We do touch on Korg's culture. Where he's from…. if you look in the comics about Kronans, it's an interesting thing about where they come from." – Taika Waititi on Korg's in #ThorLoveAndThunder. pic.twitter.com/iaT4Gj1Zgx
— Adam Khan (@Adam_Khan100) April 10, 2020
Ragnarok already briefly touched on Korg’s backstory in one memorable scene. Upon meeting Thor, the Kronan explained that he ended up on Sakaar after he staged a failed revolution on his homeworld, to which only his mother and her boyfriend (who he hates) turned up. He came to realize that he didn’t print off enough pamphlets and fans have always been tickled by the fact that this means that rock was beaten by paper.
In any case, Waititi’s comment about the “interesting thing” to do with where Kronans come from could be a reference to their unique way of reproducing in the comics. Kronans, who are actually genderless, procreate by holding hands, which causes part of their rocky bodies to melt together and form a new being. The movie is called Love and Thunder, after all, so it would make sense if Korg went home and found himself a mate and a family.
Thor: Love and Thunder was originally set to be with us by November next year, but Marvel pushing their entire Phase 4 slate back has caused it to be relocated to February 2022. At least we now know that more of Korg will be waiting for us at the end of this long wait.