Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi revealed that the upcoming entry into the franchise is unlike anything fans are anticipating.
While speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the director opened up about pushing Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder into new territory in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "What I didn't want to do is just make Ragnarok again, because that's been done," Waititi said. "I needed to do something more interesting for myself to keep the whole thing ignited and to make sure that I'm feeling creatively stimulated. I thought, What's the least expected thing with this franchise?"
He expanded by comparing the upcoming film to its predecessor, 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, which Waititi said felt "a bit like a party." He added, "It was quite festive. This one is still fun, and it's got moments of being over the top, but thematically, it's about something a bit deeper than the last film. It's not a serious film, and it's not a drama, but we do deal with ideas that I think a lot of humans deal with -- universal themes about love and loss and our place in the world."
Thor: Love and Thunder is set to introduce a slew of exciting newcomers to the MCU, including Christian Bale as the film's main antagonist, Gorr the God Butcher, who Waititi described as "one of the best villains that Marvel's had in their films." The film will also mark Russell Crowe's MCU debut as Zeus, leader of the Olympians. Natalie Portman will also reprise her role of Jane Foster, this time to take up the mantle of the God of Thunder in her first big-screen appearance as Thor.
Marvel Studios has provided fans with several glimpses of what's to come, including the first look at both Portman and Hemsworth as Thor, though those only scratch the film's surface. With so many new characters and concepts being introduced, Thor: Love and Thunder looks to make good on Waititi's promise of bringing the unexpected to the silver screen. In a recent interview, the director emphasized how far he has come during his time as a director for the MCU.
"I guess the biggest difference would be that it was my first time playing in the Marvel sandpit on Ragnarok," Waititi said. "This one, I felt like I've got a little more experience and knew how to shoot this a lot more efficiently."
Audiences can take a trip into the unexpected when Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters on July 8.
Source: Entertainment Weekly