Taika Waititi took the helm for Thor: Love and Thunder (Thor 4). While the film maintained his signature comedic touch, he later admitted that it might have leaned too heavily into humor. Waititi, known for his playful and irreverent style, aimed to inject new life into the Thor franchise after the success of Thor: Ragnarok.
He, however, acknowledged that the final product of Thor 4 was a bit too over-the-top and lacked some of the emotional depth that fans expected. Despite the mixed reactions, Waititi seems focused on moving forward with fresh projects, leaving his time with Thor as a fun and experimental chapter in his career.
Taika Waititi was criticized for Thor 4
Taika Waititi, the director of Thor: Love and Thunder, faced significant criticism for the film’s tone and direction. While Thor: Ragnarok was praised for its humor and fresh take on the God of Thunder, Thor 4 had several fallouts.
Thor: Love and Thunder was criticized for being too silly and lacking the depth and stakes that fans had come to expect from the MCU. Some even felt that the jokes overshadowed the story, making it hard to take the more serious moments seriously.
As a result, what was supposed to be another fun and exciting chapter in Thor’s journey became a disappointing entry in the superhero’s saga, leading to uncertainty about Taika Waititi’s future in the MCU.
Additionally, Thor lead actor Chris Hemsworth himself has criticized Thor 4. In interviews following the film’s release, Hemsworth said he felt the movie had become too silly and didn’t take itself seriously enough.
‘THOR 5’ is reportedly in the works at Marvel Studios.
The studio wants to release the film as part of the #MCU’s next saga.
Taika Waititi will not return to direct.
(via @DanielRPK) pic.twitter.com/hq1MZD4ocW
— Cosmic Marvel (@cosmic_marvel) June 7, 2025
He then admitted the film became “too wacky”, losing the balance between comedy and drama. As per Comic Book, Hemsworth said:
I got caught up in the improv and the wackiness, and I became a parody of myself.. I didn’t stick the landing.
Furthermore, he also spoke about his experience in Joss Whedon’s Avengers films, noting:
Sometimes I felt like a security guard for the team… I would read everyone else’s lines, and go, Oh, they got way cooler stuff. They’re having more fun. What’s my character doing?
He also pointed out that after seeing the final cut, he felt they had gone overboard with the jokes and didn’t give the story or the characters enough depth.
Meanwhile, following this, Waititi has politely stepped aside for Thor 5, which is moving ahead with a likely darker vision (via Geek Tyrant). While another ex- MCU director, James Gunn, is still a major name within the industry, he’s not involved in the franchise as he is currently leading the DCU.
Could James Gunn save Taika Waititi’s sinking superhero career?
If James Gunn ever decided to work in the MCU again, he’d definitely bring his unique style and storytelling strengths to Thor 5, but it wouldn’t be as simple as “saving” the franchise.
Gunn has a gift for balancing humor with heart, something that Thor: Love and Thunder lacked. His work in Guardians of the Galaxy showed he can handle wacky characters and cosmic stakes while still grounding them in real emotion and character growth.
If he were free to take the job, he could definitely re-center Thor’s journey, finding a tone that works. He’s also great at giving supporting characters real depth, which could freshen up the Thor universe.
Additionally, Gunn could also bring new life to Thor 5. However, he’s not involved right now, and it’s unclear if he ever will be. Ultimately, Thor 5 will likely have to find a new creative leader with a fresh vision to truly “save” the franchise.
Thor: Love and Thunder is available to stream on Disney+.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
