Kevin Feige has revealed what worried him about Taika Watiti being able to finish production on creative figurehead at Marvel Studios overseeing every project in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has become a force to be reckoned with in the ever-expanding world of franchise entertainment. Watiti, who is directing the fourth Thor outing in the MCU, comes from a background of indie New Zealand comedy projects including Eagle V Shark, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and the recent Hollywood comedy hit Jojo Rabbit.
Watiti ed the MCU as he helmed Thor’s previous solo film Thor: Ragnarok in 2017. The superhero flick reinvented the stagnant solo series and injected much welcomed colorful zaniness and a newfound comedic sensibility. Ragnarok was a hit with fans and Watiti was quickly asked back to helm the 2022 blockbuster sequel Love & Thunder. The new film sees core characters Thor, Valkyrie and Korg return, this time bringing back Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster as she transforms into the heroic Mighty Thor from the recent Marvel Comics arc. Thor 4 also sees the heroes battle the sinister Gorr the God Butcher, as played by Christian Bale.
Now, talking to the NY Times, Feige has opened up about the concerns he had regarding the loveable auteur directing the new film. The Studio head references Watiti’s extremely busy schedule following his plethora of recent projects. Feige recalls “On Ragnarok it was ‘I’m just finishing this little thing’”, referring to Watiti’s ongoing work on Hunt for the Wilderpeople. During pre-production on the new movie, the director also supposedly went “to do this other thing in Manhattan Beach” which turned out to be Disney’s Star Wars series The Mandalorian. Even after shooting had wrapped on Love and Thunder, Feige reveals Watiti visited Hawaii “for a few weeks” to film Next Goal Wins. Despite this, he clarifies that the director was always “sitting right next to us” when he was needed. Check out the full interview quote below:
“On ‘Ragnarok,’ it was, ‘I’m just finishing this little thing.’ [that turned out to be] Hunt for the Wilderpeople. […] “While we were writing and developing this movie, it was, ‘I’m just going to do this other thing in Manhattan Beach.’”[…] The Mandalorian [… ‘I’m just going to Hawaii for a few weeks.’ Oh, I guess family vacation? […] Actually, he was filming Next Goal Wins. […] we were always on alert for Taika being spread too thin. We were very ready to be like, We’re in the cutting room, it’s 8 p.m., where is he? But he was always sitting right next to us.”
Feige’s concerns over Watiti’s availability are justified. The creative filmmaker has become a hot prospect stretched across several massive projects over recent years. Watiti is set to direct a much-talked-about movie set in the Star Wars universe, with very little known about how and when the film come to fruition. In the meantime, Watiti has been creating several hugely popular TV outings including his comedy spinoff What We Do In The Shadows and his most recent fan-favorite hit Our Flag Means Death. Despite this, the director has still found time to finish work on Thor 4, which is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated movies of the summer.
Watiti’s trademark wacky-wit and absurdism have made him one of the most popular creators currently at work. Fans needn’t share Feige’s concerns, however, as, despite the long wait for promotional material to emerge for the new Thor movie, it's now only days away from release. Watiti has conquered his extremely busy schedule to bring us another hilarious comic book adventure. Whether the director returns for further Marvel movies remains to be seen, but either way, his latest work hits screens as Thor: Love and Thunder comes to theaters on July 8.
Source: New York Times
