Taika Waititi To Direct Thor 4; Akira Put On Hold
The hugely talented New Zealander is returning to tackle the Thor: Ragnarok follow-up.
Given how well received Thor: Ragnarok was, the news that Taiki Waititi will be returning to helm Thor 4 is sure to put a smile on the face of many a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After impressing many with the likes of Eagle vs. Shark, Boy, What We Do in the Shadows, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Waititi took his stock to a whole new level of stardom by directing the all-kinds-of-fun Thor: Ragnarok. And now, the New Zealand native will be back to tackle the latest adventure for Chris Hemsworth’s Thunder God.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news, with the outlet also adding that another Waititi project – Warner Brothers’ live-action Akira offering – has been pushed back so that the director can focus on the Ragnarok follow-up.
Despite being booked in for a May 21st, 2021 release, Akira has ran into yet more problems. Remember, this is a project that has been in various stages of development for a decade or so by now. Issues with the screenplay have caused Warners to push back production on Akira, and the call was made that Akira and Thor 4’s start dates were too close for comfort for The WB.
Warner Bros. is still hopeful that Waititi will direct Akira once Thor 4 is in his rear-view mirror, but first and foremost the talented Taika has the small matter of Nazi-driven satire Jojo Rabbit on the way this October. As for Hemsworth's God of Thunder, he was last seen heading off into space with the Guardians of the Galaxy at the end of Avengers: Endgame - with it a strong possibility that Thor will be a part of 2021's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.