Thor: Ragnarok director, Taika Waititi, came very close to not directing the acclaimed Marvel movie. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a box office behemoth for Disney, and Thor: Ragnarok is regarded as a triumph, as well as one of the finest installments in the MCU. After the underwhelming Thor: The Dark World, Ragnarok was released on November 3rd, 2017, as the 17th MCU movie. Noted for its vibrant visuals, off-beat humor, and absorbing direction, the movie received widespread critical acclaim. Grossing $854 million at the box office, the movie became the highest grossing installment in the trilogy.
Set after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the movie follows Thor trying to escape the alien planet Sakaar, in order to return home to Asgard to protect it from his wicked sister Hela and from the impending Ragnarok. The movie features Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and Mark Ruffalo reprising his MCU role as Hulk, as well as other big names such as Anthony Hopkins, Cate Blanchett, and Idris Elba. Much of the praise and acclaim for the movie has been aimed at Waititi's direction and screenplay, both of which have made it a fan favorite.
A new book, "The Story of Marvel Studios" details the events involved in this, and, as reported by Slash Film, the director's misplaced passport almost threatened to derail his involvement in his first-ever Marvel movie. Waititi was in Hawaii celebrating his birthday when he was invited to pitch to Marvel head, Kevin Feige, in LA. However, having sent some of his luggage back home, including his passport, the 46-year-old looked to have blown his chances of making it to LA for the meeting. Fortunately, the director found his Visa letter from The Walt Disney Company for his screenplay work on Moana, which he showed to the TSA agents at the gate, and explained the situation. Luckily, the agents were Moana fans and corroborated his identity, and Waititi was able to make his pitch.
It's remarkable to think about the fine margins involved in this and how close Waititi came to not directing the project. This is one of those urban legends that will go down in the annals of The Walt Disney Company, as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and there's no doubt fans will be looking forward to the fourth installment in the Thor series, Thor: Love & Thunder. Currently in post-production, and scheduled for release in 2022, star Chris Hemsworth praised the Love & Thunder script along with Waititi's humor and storytelling. The movie will also feature Natalie Portman, who played a prominent role in the original Thor movie, as well as Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt, who will reprise his role as Peter Quill. Disney and Marvel will no doubt be hoping that the movie is as much of a hit as Ragnarok proved to be.
In addition to his work on Thor: Love & Thunder, Waititi also has other projects in the works on the big and small screens, including sports comedy-drama Next Goal Wins, which he will write and direct, as well as the current FX comedy TV series Reservation Dogs. Whether or not Waititi will have any further involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the future remains to be seen, but it seems clear that his involvement with Thor: Ragnarok, and its upcoming sequel has given the Hunt For the Wilderpeople director a lot of stock and has made him a firm favorite with Marvel fans across the world.
Source: Slash Film