Thor Love And Thunder’s Taika Waititi Talks About Balancing Comedy And Drama In The New Marvel Movie

Taika Waititi talks finding balance and how Gun 'N Roses inspired Thor: Love And Thunder during the new Marvel movie's press conference.

Thor: Love And Thunder is just around the corner and it will set the God Of Thunder on a whole new adventure with new allies and enemies alike. With Taika Waititi returning, who reset the tone of Thor with Thor: Ragnarok, the new film continues to follow the more comedic version of the Avenger. However, it seems Thor: Love And Thunder may be leaning more fully into the emotions and pathos of not only the Asgardian Avenger, but the character surrounding him as well.

The Illuminerdi had the opportunity to attend the Thor: Love And Thunder virtual press conference which included Marvel producer Kevin Feige, director Taika Waititi, and the main cast of the new movie. During the press conference Taika Waititi talked about what inspired the music in Thor: Love And Thunder and how the music inspired the aesthetic of the film. Tessa Thompson talked about balancing comedy and emotionally driven drama in Thor: Love And Thunder.

TESSA THOMPSON TALKS ABOUT BALANCING THE FUN AND THE PATHOS IN THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

“Oh, I think that’s what’s so fun about these movies, and this on in particular is kind of holding that space between sort of the ridiculousness and the fun and the pathos. And I think that’s something that Taika has always done really, really well in his films. And in this one especially, I feel like he really was excited to lean in to the emotion in a way that felt really, I don’t know, rich for us. And I think really different than what we’ve seen particularly with themes of like love and relationships in this one, it just felt really exciting.”

Taika Waititi breathed new life into Thor’s story with Thor: Ragnarok completely changing the trajectory of the character. Infusing Thor with comedy in a way the character and his story had been lacking. However, the pathos surrounding Thor, which has been an integral part of the character from the start, is just as important. It was a key part of Ragnarock as well as Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame where audiences were able to see the leader of Asgard mourn his family and world. Now, it seems Thor: Love And Thunder will fully lean into both of these elements of Thor with Taika bringing his signature comedy and pathos to the new adventure.

Taika Waititi also explained how he as the director is able to strike the balance of comedy and drama in Thor: Love And Thunder. He revealed that a huge part of the process is done in post where he is able to find the right balance between the emotions, comedy, and action while staying true to the story of the movie.

“A lot of it is found in post, like on set we try and do as much as possible. And it’s just harvesting moments and then taking it back to the kitchen and trying to figure out what the actual dish is. We’ve got a plan of making a certain dish, and it could be very different by the time we’ve finished cooking it. And a lot of times testing the film and seeing what audiences respond to, and sometimes you gotta get rid of jokes or get rid of moments, other moments, it’s just a balancing act. That’s why it takes a year to finish these films.”

Striking the perfect balance is a challenge, but it seems Taika found the right ingredients and the seems to have started with the music. When asked about the music and specifically the use of Guns N’ Roses Taika joked, “We just wanted to spend as much money as we possibly could on some songs. It’s always been a dream of mine.” He then revealed that the music, specifically 80s rock, was a major influence on the aesthetic of Thor: Love And Thunder even beyond the soundtrack.

“The whole aesthetic around the film was always we wanted it to be this bombastic, loud, colorful palette, which kind of reflected, spray painted panel vans in the eighties and rock album covers. And, even the title treatment for the film, it’s the kind of thing I would’ve drawn on my school book in class when I wasn’t listening.
And yeah, that sort of thing. I remember spending months and months perfecting the Metallica logo at school. So yeah, and just to tap into all that stuff and Guns N’ Roses, was like one of my all-time favorite bands. And to be able to use that stuff to reflect the sort of crazy adventure that we’re presenting visually, was another one of my dreams that came true.”

Thor: Ragnarok changed the tone of Thor completely leaning into Chris Hemsworth’s comedy chops. Infinity War and Endgame explored more of the character’s pathos. Now, Thor: Love And Thunder will dive into both aspects of the character with an all new bombastic, comedy, and action filled adventure. The influence of the 80s rock not only in the music, but the visual sets the tone, but the way that Taika and the cast are able to strike the balance between emotions and humor brings Thor: Love And Thunder to the next level.

Thor: Love And Thunder hits theaters July 8, 2022. Are you excited to see Thor: Love And Thunder? Did you enjoy Thor: Ragnarok? Are you looking forward to seeing how they balance the comedy and the drama? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media and check back with The Illuminerdi for more MCU and Thor: Love And Thunder.