Taika Waititi Explains How Thor: Love And Thunder Will Be Different From Ragnarok

The Marvel Cinematic Universe lost three of its original Avengers when Robert Downey Jr., Scarlet Johansson, and Chris Evans left the franchise in the wake of "Avengers: Endgame," but one hero who dates all the way back to Phase 1 is soldiering on. With "Thor: Love and Thunder," Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth) is the first MCU character to receive four solo movies. Marvel Studios is releasing the new film at the height of the blockbuster season on July 8, an indication of its faith in the "Thor" franchise. Writer-director Taika Waititi returns to continue guiding the character in the more light-hearted, fun direction that he first infused in the solo movies with 2017's "Thor: Ragnarok."

The teaser trailer for "Thor: Love and Thunder" shows Thor considering his place in the world after the events of "Avengers: Endgame." It seems that Thor will — likely for a small amount of time — give up fighting battles and working as a superhero before Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) pushes him to break out Stormbreaker once more. That teaser keeps details light, though it does give audiences a first look at Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and the other Guardians of the Galaxy featured in the movie, as well as a small tease of Jane Foster's (Natalie Portman) entrance after she gains Thor's powers, too.

Though Waititi returns for the new movie, he has so far been tight-lipped on details about the "Thor" sequel even as its release date draws closer.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Taika Waititi said that he wanted to keep driving the "Thor" franchise into unexpected territory, which leads to the upcoming movie reintroducing Jane Foster as wielding Mjölnir, too. Waititi told EW that he reaches for a deeper thematic idea with "Thor: Love and Thunder" than he did with "Thor: Ragnarok." The fourth "Thor" film promises to explore what Thor's real purpose in the universe is. Waititi went as far as to say the movie treads along the lines of a midlife crisis film.

"That's the question we ask everyone: Are we doing the right thing, and are we doing all we can in the world?" Waititi told EW. "I think right now, while the world is still healing from this pandemic, it's a good question to ask. It's like, well, are we doing enough to look after each other and to look after ourselves?"

Now that Waititi is a Marvel Studios veteran and responsible for the humorous re-imagining of Chris Hemsworth's Asgardian character, the director told EW that he felt he was able to shoot "Thor: Love and Thunder" more efficiently than he did on his first MCU project. Waititi teased various aspects of the new movie in the EW interview, even going as far as to call villain Gorr the God Butcher one of the best Marvel villains yet. He also promised enticing acting from Russell Crowe, who plays the Greek god Zeus, in a way that audiences have never seen Crowe act before.