Like any other profession, directing is a job. It’s a field that requires a great deal of passion, but sometimes projects aren’t chosen based on an unwavering need to get something made. Sometimes, that next job is a means to an end, which we have learned once again after a recent interview withTaika Waititi. The director recently admitted that he has no interest in directing 2017’sThor: Ragnarok,but he did so because he was poor, needed the money, and had just had his second child. There should be nothing wrong with admitting this, but for some fans, it has rubbed them the wrong way, even though it really shouldn’t.
Before theThorfranchise, the New Zealand filmmaker was primarily known for co-writing and co-directing the horror comedyWhat We Do in the Shadows. The film would later be adapted into a television series in 2019, but this was his biggest claim to fame before becoming adirector in the MCU.
That’s not to say Waititi’s talent went unnoticed. His 2010 filmBoyand 2016’sHunt for the Wilderpeoplewere each top-grossing films in New Zealand, and his 2003 short film,Two Cars, One Night, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. Many of these projects brought him to the attention of Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige, which led to an offer to helm the thirdThorfilm.
Taika Waititi Directed Thor for Money
thor ragnarok
Thor Ragnarök finds the God of Thunder Imprisoned on the other side of the universe. The mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) gets caught up in a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), his former ally and fellow Avenger. Thor’s quest for survival leads him in a race against time to prevent the all-powerful Hela (Cate Blanchett) from destroying his home world and the Asgardian civilization.
Judging from his recent comments on the Smartless Podcast, with hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, Waititi revealed he onlydirectedThor: Ragnarokfor the money, following the birth of his second child, and not based on some great artistic need to do them:
“You know what? I had no interest in doing one of those films. It wasn’t on my plan for my career as an auteur. But I was poor and I’d just had a second child, and I thought, ' You know what, this would be a great opportunity to feed these children.”
Honesty is hard to come by in Hollywood, and it’s often refreshing when anyone admits their intentions for taking on a project. Still, some fans were not pleased with Waititi’s choice of words and thought it might be in poor taste for him to admit this after having directed twoThorfilms:
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The iconoclastic director has gone from small-town New Zealand comic to Marvel master, winning Oscars and writing Star Wars scripts along the way.
Perhaps the part of the conversation that has really been met with some criticism from fans is that Waititi had never read aThorcomic bookand believed “it was probably the least popular franchise.":
“And Thor, let’s face it, it was probably like the least popular franchise. I never read Thor comics when I was a kid. That was the comic I’d pick up and be like, ‘Ugh. And then I did some research on it, and I read one Thor comic or 18 pages, or however long they are. I was still baffled by this character.”
Adding to the notion that the director only made the films for money, Waititi seemingly didn’t care about the character when he was brought into the fold. Fans have also picked apart these words, and it only added fuel to the fire:
Taika Waititi Shouldn’t Be Met With Negativity
While it’s okay for fans to be passionate, particularly about a property and a character they love, Waititi’s revelation about only taking on the project for money should not be met with negativity. Some of your favorite actors and directors have all made films for a paycheck, and while they may not always admit it, their intentions for accepting certain jobs are based purely on financial needs and nothing more. This is nothing to be ashamed of or be attacked for. Even in Hollywood, these are all jobs; most of the time, the bottom line is to score a big payday.
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It’s not as if Waititi went intoThor: Ragnarokwithout passion. Marvel was coming offThor: The Dark World, which did decent box office numbers but was met with a polarizing response from fans. They wanted to go in a different direction withThorand do something less serious. With Waititi’s sensibilities, the tone certainly went lighter, and this was viewed as the take that the character needed at the time.
AfterRagnarokwas released, the film earned praise for Waititi’s direction, humor, action sequences, and visual effects. Many critics and fans agree it is the best installment of theThorfranchise to date. At 93 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s the best-reviewed film of theThorfranchise and one of thebest-reviewed MCUtitles.
By the end of its run, the film grossed $855 million globally, becoming the highest-grossing film of theThorseries. These factors don’t come together if the director is merely sleepwalking through the project. Waititi still brought his A-game to the film and made it with passion despite taking on the job just for the money.
WhileThor: Love and Thunderwasn’t as positively received, he still went into that project and took the things that people loved aboutRagnarokand dialed them up. That’s not to say that this was necessarily the right direction, but it does showcase a director who isn’t phoning it in.
Coming off that momentum from the previous film, Waititi likely wanted to put more of himself intoLove and Thunderand was given the freedom to do so. Everything wouldn’t work with the fans, but he wasn’t just working as a by-the-numbers director, just there for the money. Even when you take on a job for financial purposes, giving it your all is possible because you ultimately want to be proud of your output.
Ultimately, it’s not a groundbreaking admission that Waititi joined the MCU for a quick buck, and there is nothing wrong with that declaration, especially if he accepted the job to take care of his family. If most fans were in his shoes, they would’ve done the same without hesitation.
If you love the MCU, check out MovieWeb’s video of the best quotes from Thanos throughout his time in the franchise below.
