Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi has been seen meeting with Ryan Gosling, sparking speculation that the Oscar-nominee could join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It has only been a few weeks since Marvel Studios announced their plans for Phase 4 of the MCU at San Diego Comic-Con. Most of the slate unfolded as expected, but that would not have been the case if Waititi's return to the MCU didn't leak a few days ahead of time.

Waititi will return to the Thor franchise to write and direct a fourth installment following the critical and financial success that Thor: Ragnarok received. The new movie will see Chris Hemsworth star as Thor, Tessa Thompson return as Valkyrie, and Natalie Portman's Jane Foster pick up Mjolnir to become Mighty Thor. Before Waititi tackles his second MCU film though, he will next helm Next Goal Wins, a movie based around a losing American Samoa soccer team becoming winners.

Related: MCU Theory: Female Thor Is Jane Foster From Another Timeline

Both of Waititi's upcoming films will need more cast members, and speculation has turned to Ryan Gosling potentially snagging a role in either. Just Jared snapped photos of Waititi and Gosling meeting over lunch and it wasn't long before fans of them both began hoping this signals them working together on an upcoming project. There are no reports at this time that Gosling will appear in one of Waititi's new movies, but those could follow quickly if that was the topic of their meeting.

Ryan Gosling holding a bag standing in front of a car in Drive.

Gosling is one of the most versatile and talented actors working in Hollywood today. He may be best known for some of his dramatic work in films like First Man, but his recent pairing with Shane Black on The Nice Guys highlights what Gosling can do in the comedy genre. Waititi's films are filled with humor, as well as drama, so Gosling would be able to do anything that Waititi would require of him. If they are going to work together after this meeting, then the question becomes what movie it will be on.

At first glance, the timing of this meeting and the announcement of Next Goal Wins doesn't appear to be coincidental. The movie is expected to center around the American Samoa soccer team's Dutch coach Thomas Rongen, which is a role Gosling could theoretically play. However, Gosling is likely too young to play the part, unless he is aged up more than a decade. With that in mind, the possibility of this meeting being about Thor: Love and Thunder should increase.

Marvel Studios has long expressed interest in working with Gosling, as he was one of the names who surfaced as a target for Doctor Strange several years back. Since he didn't get that role, this could be Marvel circling back around to him for a new role. Waititi does have a finished script for his next MCU film and filming is starting in early 2020, so Marvel could already be in the casting mode. In either case, it will hopefully not be too long before we learn if this meeting delivers a Waititi and Gosling collaboration in Thor: Love and Thunder or something else.

MORE: Thor: Love and Thunder's Villain Should Be Enchantress

Source: Just Jared

Key Release Dates