Taika Waititi is hardly known for playing by the rules when it comes to his creative output, which is what made him such an inspired choice to board the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the first place. The famously eccentric and irreverent filmmaker completely reinvented Chris Hemsworth’s Odinson in Thor: Ragnarok, and he’s looking to double down on the insanity with Love and Thunder.
The 45 year-old has long since touted the Asgardian superhero’s fourth solo outing as being twice as crazy as Ragnarok, and in a new interview he stated his belief that it’s the craziest thing he’s ever done. That’s a big claim from someone who won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay thanks to Best Picture nominee Jojo Rabbit, a biting satire that saw the New Zealand native play a comedic version of Adolf Hitler that was entirely the figment of a child’s imagination, and you can read his comments below.
“I’ve done some crazy sh*t in my life, but this is the craziest film I’ve ever done. If you wrote down all the elements of this film, it shouldn’t make sense. It’s almost like it shouldn’t be made. If you walked into a room and said, ‘I want this and this and this’. Who’s in it? These people. What are you going to call it? Love And Thunder. I mean, you’d never work again. Maybe I won’t after this.”
Based on what we know so far, Waititi might not be exaggerating. We’ve got Natalie Portman returning to the MCU after a decade to inherit the mantle of Thor, as well as Russell Crowe making a cameo appearance as Zeus, ruler of Mount Olympus. The entire Guardians of the Galaxy roster are all dropping by, while Christian Bale makes his return to the comic book genre as Gorr the God Butcher, with his entire remit being the desire to wipe out as many deities as possible.
Throw in Melissa McCarthy as Hela alongside the Asagardian troupe of actors played by Sam Neill, Luke Hemsworth and Matt Damon, not to mention Jeff Goldblum returning as the Grandmaster to do more Jeff Goldblum stuff, and Thor: Love and Thunder sounds bonkers in the best possible way.