Taika Waititi has revealed that he has no plans to return to Marvel’s Thor franchise anytime soon.
A fifth film hasn’t been confirmed by the studio but rumors have made their rounds on social media in recent months. The director recently told Business Insider that he “wouldn’t know if that’s accurate,” but he knows “that I won’t be involved.”
“I’m going to concentrate on these other films that I’ve signed on for,” he added.
Waititi helmed 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok, which took in more than $855 million worldwide, and 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder, which earned over $760 million.
As for the next few years, the Jojo Rabbit director wants to focus on the film adaptations of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Klara and the Sun and Alejandro Jodorowsky’s novel The Incal, as well as continuing to develop his highly-anticipated Star Wars movie, which he said is “still marinating. I’ve been writing it.”
“So that’s six, seven years gone,” Waititi explained. “I’d imagine another Thor would be a lot sooner than that. … But I love Marvel, I love working with them. I love Chris [Hemsworth].”
If Marvel does decide to move forward with another installment in the Thor franchise without him, Waititi wishes them nothing but the best.
“I would never feel like they are cheating on me,” he said. “We’re in an open relationship, and it’s like if they want to see other people, I’m happy for that. I’d still get back into bed with them one day.”
Earlier this week, at the Los Angeles premiere of his new movie Next Goal Wins, Waititi admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that he needs a break from the big-budget superhero movie world. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’m a bit fatigued by working on those big films, studio films, which is why I’ve come back to do smaller films like this; my next film will be a smaller one.”
But, amid Marvel’s recent string of misses with their last few superhero projects, the director added that “there’s always a place for them and they’re always inspirational. As a little kid, those are the things I loved, going to see these big movies set in outer space to take a great escape from where we are. So I hope they continue.”
