Taika Waititi showed the God of Thunder in a new light with Thor: Ragnarok. While the success of the third installment of the Thor franchise can be majorly linked to Taika Waititi’s direction, it is interesting to think about what would have been made of the film if someone else had been sitting in the director’s chair.
Having directed Pitch Perfect 2 and the Charlie’s Angels reboot and moving on to the third one, Elizabeth Banks revealed that she was quite interested in directing Thor: Ragnarok. While there was a call made on her behalf, nothing was ever made of it, for whatever reason. In the end, Taika Waititi ended up getting the job, as we are quite well aware. However, we wonder what Elizabeth Banks’s take on the film would be like, given that she didn’t have experience in directing a huge superhero film.
Taika Waititi Could’ve Lost Ragnarok to Elizabeth Banks?
While promoting her third directorial project, Cocaine Bear, Elizabeth Banks talked to Variety about how she wanted to direct the well-received Thor: Ragnarok. She was asked if she would ever want to work as a director for a big franchise, such as those in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Banks seemed unsure. She stated, “I can’t do someone else’s vision. I really want to bring my sensibility to things.” However, she did add that Ragnarok was one movie she was pretty interested in and that a call was made to bring the idea to life. However, the studio never called Banks back.
“Nothing ever happend. No one called me [back]. Taika Waititi got the job. Rightfully so.”
What attracted Banks to Ragnarok was the script that called for Chris Hemsworth to take on a more light-hearted and fun portrayal of Thor. She stated that the character being funny was her “vibe” and she knew that Hemsworth was quite good at “making fun of himself.”
While Banks’ interest in Thor: Ragnarok is understandable (who wouldn’t wanna be a part of one of the best movies made in MCU?), the position was made for Taika Waititi’s leadership.
How Taika Waititi Contributed to the Film’s Success
Thor: Ragnarok has a whopping score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a lot more than its predecessors, Thor (77%) and Thor: The Dark World (66%). All three movies have different directors to their names as Kenneth Branagh directed the first and Alan Taylor the second. So how did Waititi coming on-board help the Thor franchise?
Waititi revamped the franchise and brought a level of humor to the characters which the MCU is known to flaunt. The director’s unique comedic style and unconventional approach to the mighty Thor made the movie-going experience a worthwhile one. Whether it was the subtle humor surrounding Loki and Thor’s relationship or the epic battle between the “Revengers” and Hela, the movie had us all gripped for the entire two hours and ten minutes.
However, we do have to point out that even though his approach worked flawlessly in Ragnarok, things might’ve been overdone a little in Thor: Love and Thunder. While fans were initially excited to hear that the Jojo Rabbit director would be returning to direct the fourth Thor film, the results let the fans down big time. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 64%, the lowest of the four films, Waititi was criticized for reducing the film to what looked like a superhero parody.
Thor: Love and Thunder contributed to making MCU’s Phase 4 a disappointment as fans wish that movies like Ragnarok make a return soon.
Thor: Ragnarok is available to stream on Disney+ and Banks’ Cocaine Bear will be released on February 24.
Source: Variety
