Marvel Studios has found its director for the thirdThorfilm, and it’s a bit of an unlikely choice. PerThe Wrap,Flight of the ConchordsdirectorTaika Waititiis in negotiations to take the helm ofThor: Ragnarok. The filmmaker is a veteran of television, having directed episodes of the popular HBO comedy seriesFlight of the Conchordsas well asThe Inbetweeners. Most recently, however, he helmed the vampire mockumentary featureWhat We Do in the Shadows, which has become a bit of a cult hit following its release earlier this year.
Per the report, Waititi beat outGangster SquadandZombielanddirectorRuben Fleischerfor theThor: Ragnarokgig, withTHRadding thatRawson Marshall Thurber(Dodgeball) andRob Letterman(Goosebumps) were the other finalists. Fleischer certainly had more experience with action sequences and large ensemble casts, but in keeping with Marvel’s recent trend of going with up-and-coming filmmakers over established ones, the more unexpected choice of Waititi was made. He follows the recent hiring ofJon Wattsfor the untitledSpider-Manreboot, who was merely coming off the success of the Sundance indieCop Carbefore landing that coveted gig.
Plot details forThor: Ragnarokare under wraps, but the subtitle refers to a world-ending event in the comic book, meaning stakes are about to be raised substantially when we return to Asgard. AsRagnarokis the final Marvel Studios movie beforeAvengers: Infinity War — Part 1, Waititi no doubt has a major responsibility in setting up the nextAvengerssequel.Chris Hemsworthwill reprise his title role of Thor, andTom Hiddlestonis confirmed to return as Loki. It’s unclear who’s writing the script, but Waititi is an experienced screenwriter and most recently penned Disney’s upcoming animated filmMoana, so it’s possible he could lend a hand.
So with a director set,Thor: Ragnarokis now on track to begin production sometime next year in anticipation of its November 2017 release date. For a refresher, peruse all of Marvel’s upcoming calendar below, orclick herefor our database of superhero movie release dates.
