Taika Waititi has become a household name as a writer and director after his high-profile successes with films like Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit. The New Zealander reimagined Thor as a character in a way that arguably saved the hero, as without the newfound love for him, his fate in Avengers: Endgame might have been different. In that movie, Thor was spared as Black Widow and Iron Man died (and Captain America hung up his shield), but it could have been different if it hadn’t been for Waititi’s creative input on the character.
The method to the madness that was Thor: Ragnarok was turning the title character from a serious Asgardian god figure into a self-deprecating hero, one that challenges the stereotypical portrayal of masculinity in modern society. The latter is particularly noticeable in Waititi’s latest work, Thor: Love and Thunder, which not only ramps up the comedy but also turns the jokes on Thor even more as he goes through what could only be described as a mid-life crisis. Despite that, the cornerstone of both of these movies is the comedy, especially as Waititi has such a unique style of humor. The jokes are not a run-of-the-mill, standard Marvel fare, but are instead uniquely his. It’s the comedy that saved Thor and is the Waititi's biggest strength as a writer. Given that he is about to shift gears and embark on directing his own Star Wars movie, this style of humor should be brought over as well.
Thor: Love and Thunder has received mixed reactions from some audience members, many of whom cite the hit-and-miss nature of the comedy as a key reason for its supposed downfall. While that may be the case, and the consensus seems to suggest that it isn’t as good as Ragnarok, it doesn’t change the fact that Waititi is an excellent writer. His sense of humor can’t be replicated, and is so uniquely his that it’s the main sign that one is watching a movie written by Waititi. Interestingly, this humor is family-friendly enough that it was easily transferable to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, something that can’t necessarily be said about other writers or comedians, and their style, working today. Appealing to as many people as possible is the number one goal of that franchise, and Waititi’s style fits right in with that.
Waititi will next be working on another franchise that also values a kid friendly tone in the form of Star Wars. George Lucas has said on several occasions that Star Wars is for kids at the end of the day, in an effort to refute any toxic criticism from adult fans. The franchise has stuck by that mantra in the Disney era, as every project has been light enough for kids of a young age to enjoy. A zombie-like Palpatine may be creepy, but it was far from anything to jeopardize that tone. The humor of every Star Wars project and title follows the same route, avoiding anything too adult and making all audiences laugh. Again, Taika Waititi’s style fits right in with all of that.
The biggest, and perhaps most interesting, aspect of Waititi joining Star Wars is that the franchise has never had a full-blown comedy movie. Yet with Ragnarok, What We Do in the Shadows, and more, Waititi honed in on the comedy side to make all of these films in that genre. Even in the Season One finale of The Mandalorian, which Waititi directed, there was more comedy than other episodes of the show. One particular moment was the funny exchange between two scout troopers in possession of Baby Yoda, which went on to become a fan-favorite scene. Many were jokingly outraged at the aggression that the troopers showed to young Grogu, and were interested to learn more about those two interesting foot soldiers for the Empire. A full-length film helmed by Waititi could be full of moments just like this, such is the potential of this upcoming project.
Star Wars has nearly gone into full comedy mode, but interestingly seemed to get cold feet deep into the project. Solo: A Star Wars Story was originally directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, two filmmakers known for their comedy movies like 21 Jump Street. They were fired towards the end of principal photography, and the movie was then reshot by Ron Howard. Reports stated that Lucasfilm was unhappy with some of the improvisation and comedy that Lord and Miller were insistent on including in the film.
However, Waititi is a more accomplished director than those two, having won an Oscar in 2020, and has proven himself capable of integrating comedy into an established franchise without sacrificing the story or the characters. This gives him a particular advantage when it comes to proving to Lucasfilm, a studio that has switched directors at late stages more than what is usual in the industry, that he is capable of pulling a Star Wars movie off. Waititi’s comedy reinvented Thor as a character, and is the one element that he should make sure to bring over to a galaxy far, far away.