Fans were highly skeptical about Thor’s new version that Writer/director Taika Waititi created for Love and Thunder. However, Waititi efficiently revitalized the franchise in 2017. He gave a new dimension to Thor’s persona in Thor: Ragnarok. It transformed the broody god of thunder into a comedic dimwit with Godly powers and good intentions. The film became a box office smash hit with the new elements of the main character. Perhaps, that’s why MCU decided to continue the franchise, making Thor the first Marvel hero with a fourth solo film.
It seems that Waititi has been busy building up the new version of Thor for Love and Thunder. The new release also brings Christian Bale as Gorr the Godbutcher on the big screen. The antagonist is drawn from Jason Aaron’s run on the Thor comics. Moreover, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster has also returned to intrigue the Fans of Thor’s love life.
Waititi seems to have been given complete control over the plot, with his portrayals of Thor’s goslings Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder that were disqualified from being featured in the original Thor back in the year 2011. Waititi has also pumped up the movie’s theme of love, and the relationship between Thor and Jane Foster, something that people looking for a more traditional MCU action movie might not initially be interested in.
In his interview with AP News, Waititi revealed the process he used to make Thor: Love and Thunder. Instead of making the film people thought they would like, Waititi wanted to challenge the audience by showing a different version of Thor that people would initially find distasteful. It seems the intention was to create a film with the intention of being able to create a story that audiences could be able to enjoy, even if it’s something they weren’t sure they initially desired.
The interpretation of Waititi’s Thor is both adored by some fans but being controversial for those who would prefer the less serious rendition of Thor that was shown in his previous two solo films. His sensibilities may not be what a particular public section might like. Still, Thor: Ragnarok’s box-office popularity compared to Thor and Thor: The Dark World illustrates his sense of humor and approach to the character. Both were an enormous success. The biggest challenge for him now is to create a sequel that can live up to the expectations set by his previous smash. The director Patty Jenkins found herself in the same situation when she made Wonder Woman 1984, a sequel to a cult superhero film in 2017. In this film, she had more creative control to tell the story she wanted to tell. Wonder Woman’s negative critical reaction shows how challenging to create an action film that people will be able to adore.
It will be fascinating to see how Waititi’s innovative decisions are received by audiences. Thor: Love and Thunder are projected to be a $150 million opening weekend, but the early reviews have been mixed. Marvel Studios has had several films that may not be the most well-respected film by critics and viewers at the time of release, but they grew to be appreciated more as time went on, such as Iron Man 3, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and most lately with Eternals. It will be interesting to see whether Waititi’s version of Thor: Love and Thunder is a risk that pays back.
