The new instalment of the Thor franchise will not be linked to other films in the Marvel cinematic universe, director Taika Waititi has said.
Responding to questions in a Reddit AMA, Waititi said he was “trying to ignore the rest of the universe and just make my own awesome movie”.
“I made an effort to ignore the fact that there are other Thor films,” he said, and told fans that the film would be “out there” and “crazy”.
Waititi, whose other film credits include Hunt for the Wilderpeople and What We Do in the Shadows, was asked whether he would bring his usual humorous approach to the film and replied that fans “could expect a very Taika-esque tone”.
In August, Marvel released a short comic film directed by Waititi, which explained what the character was doing during the events of Captain America: Civil War, from which he was absent.
Waititi hinted that he would be open to creating more short mockumentaries for other Avengers characters, saying he would “love to make a bunch of them”.
The film will not make a complete break with the earlier films and the rest of the Marvel cinematic universe, with characters including Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Anthony Hopkins’ Odin and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki confirmed to return.
However, Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster is being replaced as the love interest by Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, the first cinematic appearance for the character. Other characters new to the Marvel cinematic universe include supervillain Hela, played by Cate Blanchett, and the Grandmaster, played by Jeff Goldblum. Waititi also said there would probably be “a reference” to Doctor Strange in Ragnarok.
The film is slated for release in late 2017.
