Taika Waititi shares his amusing early pitches for Thor 5. The latest installment in the Thor franchise, Thor: Love and Thunder was released this summer and saw the titular hero (Chris Hemsworth) suit up alongside longtime flame Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). After the runaway success of Waititi's MCU debut in 2017, Thor: Ragnarok, which revitalized the franchise, anticipation was high for his next Thor project. However, the reception of Thor: Love and Thunder was mixed, with many viewers disappointed by the follow-up after five years.
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Featuring the return of Hemsworth as the God of Thunder as well as Tessa Thompson and Waititi himself as fan-favorites Valkyrie and Korg, the film was criticized as being too over-the-top by some viewers. Despite the mixed reviews of Thor: Love and Thunder, the film enjoyed an impressive box office haul and even outsold the critically acclaimed Thor: Ragnarok. The numbers, along with a mid-credits scene setting up another film, make it likely that a fifth Thor movie is in the cards.
In a conversation with BBC Radio 1, Waititi shared an amusing pitch for the next Thor film. After the huge scale of Thor: Love and Thunder, it's clear he thinks a pared-down movie is the best approach, and the director even mentions bringing back Thor's roommate Darryl (Daley Pearson) from his amusing Team Thor shorts. See his ideas below:
"Thor 5: Still Alive [or] Thor 5: Learning to Drive…It's like 'Back to School' with Rodney Dangerfield, but [with] Thor learning to drive. I think if there's going to be a fifth film, you just gotta like, take all the zeroes off the budget and make it like a $6 million movie with just Thor on Earth learning to drive, him and Darryl, and I think… I literally think you'd make at least half a billion dollars."
Waititi's approach while brainstorming clearly pinpoints what works best in his Thor films. Though audiences love to watch Thor swing his hammer (or axe) in flashy, jaw-dropping battles, part of the reason Ragnarok worked so well was that Thor was able to be a full person outside of his God of Thunder archetype. If the success of the non-canon Team Thor shorts is any indication, Waititi's right in thinking that audiences would line up to see a simple, funny movie about Waititi's Thor continuing to adjust to life on Earth. A smaller budget would also take some of the pressure Waititi likely felt when making Thor: Love and Thunder off the director's shoulders. Though it's unlikely that Thor 5 will resemble Waititi's above pitches, the film will certainly retain Waititi's trademark humor if he directs again.
Thor's roommate Darryl, referenced by Waititi, may not have been present in Thor: Ragnarok, but fans of Team Thor were delighted to see him appear in a brief Love and Thunder cameo as a New Asgard tour guide. The Team Thor shorts may not be MCU canon, but seeing Pearson reprise the role as Darryl in Love and Thunder leaves the door open for him to interact with the God of Thunder in the next film. While Thor 5 has yet to be confirmed, viewers can likely expect the official announcement of Hemsworth's return as Thor soon.