Taika Waititi Reveals His Motivation for Directing Thor: Ragnarok Amid Financial Struggles
Taika Waititi openly reveals his motive for directing Thor: Ragnarok in a refreshingly candid manner
Taika Waititi is open about his decision to join the Marvel Universe with "Thor: Ragnarok." During a recent episode of the "Smartless" podcast, the Oscar-winning director revealed that despite the MCU's immense popularity, he initially had no desire to be involved in one of those films.
"It wasn't really part of my career plan as a filmmaker, but I was struggling financially and had just welcomed my second child," Waititi said. "I saw it as a great chance to provide for my children."
He also humorously mentioned that at the time, he felt that some Marvel fans were not happy about him being chosen for the movie. Before that, Waititi had gained recognition for his work in co-writing, co-directing, and acting in "What We Do in the Shadows" (2014) and "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" (2016).
"Ragnarok" became one of the highest-grossing films in the "Thor" franchise, raking in over $800 million at the global box office.
The franchise consists of four films starring Chris Hemsworth. The first movie was released in 2011, followed by three sequels: "Thor: Dark World" in 2013, "Thor: Ragnarok" in 2017, and "Thor: Love and Thunder" in 2022, which also had Waititi returning as director.
Outside of his work with Marvel, Waititi is best known for starring in and directing 2020s "Jojo Rabbit," which earned him an Oscar for best adapted screenplay.
