AfterThor: The Dark Worldarrived as arguably the MCU’s dullest, most generic entry andAvengers: Age of Ultronmassively underutilized the God of Thunder (his entire arc revolves around taking a bath and having a dream toset up the MacGuffins), Marvel fans began to lose interest in the character. Chris Hemsworth himself even became disillusioned with playing Thor, as he was continually relegated to exposition dumps with pseudo-Shakespearean dialogue and bland romance with one-note characterization.
That all changed in 2015 when Taika Waititi was hired to helm Thor’s third solo outing,Thor: Ragnarok. Waititi brought his signature dry humor along with bursts of bright color, unforgettable supporting characters, and above all, the overriding sense of fun that movies about space Vikings should inherently have, but was missing from the previousThorinstallments.Ragnarokreinvigorated the fanbase’s interest in watching Thor’s adventures andHemsworth’s interest in playing him.
RELATED:Thor: Ragnarok Proves Taika Waititi Would Direct A Great Star Trek Movie
AlthoughRagnarokfollows on from the plot points established inThe Dark WorldandAge of Ultron, Waititi radically recharacterized Thor as more of a comedic role, joking his way through every situation and frequently embarrassing himself and hilariously playing it off. After the previous MCU movies characterized Thor as dangerously arrogant owing to centuries of easy victories in intergalactic wars,Ragnarokgave the God of Thunder some humility by facing him with a foe he couldn’t defeat and stranding him far away from his kingdom.
WhenThe Dark Worlddirector Alan Taylor decided not to return for the nextThormovie, Marvel Studios began its search for the perfect filmmaker to continue Thor’s on-screen adventures. While the apocalyptic plot had initially been developed as even darker than the original two movies,the shortlist of directorsthat Waititi was chosen from (Zombieland’s Ruben Fleischer,Dodgeball’s Rawson Marshall Thurber, etc.) would suggest Kevin Feige always planned to lighten things up with some comedy.
The directors under consideration were required to pitch their vision for aThormovie to Feige et al, and despite being advised against it, Waititi came in with “a sizzle reel for the tone,” essentially a supercut of clips from existing films that demonstrated what he had in mind. Waititi usedLed Zeppelin’s Norse mythology-inspired classic “Immigrant Song”on the soundtrack, and it ended up being used twice in the final movie (first when Thor fights Surtur’s demons and later when he channels his thunderous powers on the Bifrost). This reel impressed Marvel enough to give Waititi the job with a generous helping of creative control.
One of the most prominently featured movies on this reel was John Carpenter’s underappreciated 1986 action-comedyBig Trouble in Little China. Mixing in elements of fantasy and martial arts action, the moviestars Kurt Russell as a trucker named Jack Burtonwho is unwittingly drawn into a supernatural battle taking place in a secret temple underneath Chinatown. At the time, thanks to Carpenter’s own movies likeEscape from New YorkandThe Thing, Russell was enjoying a career renaissance as an action hero. The role of Jack Burton was a hysterical subversion of what fans had come to expect from the star. Jack isn’t a tough-as-nails badass like Snake Plissken;he’s just a regular guywho isn’t equipped to handle encounters with mystical ninjas or ancient wizards.
While the movie received mixed reviews upon its initial release and bombed at the box office, it’s since been re-evaluated as a cult classic. With public interest in theThorfranchise waning pre-Ragnarok, the box office disappointment ofBig Trouble in Little Chinamay have created some fears that audiences wouldn’t get Waititi’s movie – just like moviegoers in 1986 didn’t get Carpenter’s movie – and Marvel was in for its first financial disaster.Waititi’s zany new tonewas certainly a bold change that could’ve gone horribly wrong, but audiences ultimately embraced the breath of fresh air.
Thor’s recharacterization wasn’t for everyone, of course. As with anything Marvel-related, there’s a handful of scorned fans who liked the pseudo-serious tone of the pastThormovies and chastised Waititi fordaring to bring some humor to the table. But for the most part, fans are thrilled with the new comical Jack Burton-esque Thor. Odinson has gone from one of the most boring Avengers to one of the most complex and beloved (and hysterical), thanks to Waititi’s contributions.
After the success ofRagnarok, it was a no-brainer for Marvel to rehire Waititi to write and direct the nextThormovie. Set to be released on June 14, 2025,Thor: Love and Thunderwill revolve around Odinsonpassing on his mantle to his ex-girlfriend Jane Fosterwhile Valkyrie searches for a queen to help her rule over New Asgard. It looks as thoughLove and Thunderwill be taking even more influence fromBig Trouble in Little ChinathanRagnarokdid, as a lot of the set photos feature Chris Hemsworth in a white tank top and jeans, the same wardrobe worn by Jack Burton in Carpenter’s movie.
MORE:Thor: Love And Thunder Will Be Even Taika Waititi-er Than Ragnarok
