Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi discussed the film's beginnings as an updated take on classic romance stories.

Speaking to Wired, Waititi was tight-lipped about details surrounding the upcoming film. He did, however, indicate that the next movie installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was originally going to be written as a love story. Specifically, Waititi referenced Jack Kirby comics as inspiration, as well as the now-iconic covers of 1930s Mills & Boon romance novels. Waititi explained the process, saying, "It's really about trying to make it interesting to myself. And not do what everyone thinks I should do. Or what they're expecting me to do."

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Waititi continued, "It's literally me trying to not do whatever the grown-ups say," regarding a half-joke about his tendency to agree with studio executives' requests before doing what he originally planned instead. On the subject of working with major studios, he added, "I do miss the feeling where I was excited to wake up and write. So much of what I do now is associated with deadlines and with people wanting something from me. And then it starts to feel like you’re just sitting in traffic waiting to go to work."

Thor: Love and Thunder is Waititi's latest entry into the MCU, the first of which was 2017's Thor: Ragnarok. Fans have already been given a glimpse of where the once budding romance between the film's two Gods of Thunder is headed courtesy of the trailer, which sees Jane Foster far less interested in reminiscing over former flings than her Asgardian counterpart. Waititi has also commented on the romance set to take place in Thor: Love and Thunder, stating that "I think most people will assume that the love story is between Chris and Natalie. I can’t promise that what people think is going to happen in this film will happen." He added, "I wanted to embrace this thing that I was always a bit dismissive of, and explore this idea of love, and show characters who do believe in love."

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Apart from the return of Jane Foster and her ascension to the mantle of Thor, the upcoming film is set to introduce a myriad of new characters and concepts to the MCU. Among these are Christian Bale as the film's antagonist, Gorr the God Butcher, as well as Russell Crowe as the Olympian god Zeus. The theatrical trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder has also shown Jane uncovering statues built in the likenesses of some of Marvel's most powerful beings such as Uatu, Eon, Infinity, Death, and the Living Tribunal. While the Watcher himself has already made his presence fully known in the MCU, the others have only been briefly alluded to.

Audiences can feel the love when Thor: Love and Thunder arrives in theaters July 8.

Source: Wired