Thor: Love and Thunder takes audiences deeper into filmmaker Taika Waititi’s unfiltered vision for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a unique lens filled with mythological deities, cosmic monsters, and plenty of heavy metal. Fans already got a taste of this in Thor: Ragnarok, with Waititi’s choice of needle drops now ranking high among the most epic battle sequences of the entire franchise. For many, it’s hard to listen to Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” and not think about Thor after watching that movie. The director-writer now follows up this choice of 1970s classic rock with 1980s metal in Thor: Love and Thunder, specifically the iconic ballads of the Guns N’ Roses.
While speaking at the official Thor: Love and Thunder press conference, Taika Waititi explained why he chose to lean so hard on the musical flavor of the Guns N’ Roses. Arguably, Waititi’s music taste is an even bigger part of the film’s identity this time around as he chooses to use a few Guns N’ Roses tracks throughout, as opposed to only using one song twice in Thor: Ragnarok. “We just wanted to spend as much money as we possibly could on some songs,” Waititi jokingly says. But the truth is that the filmmaker has been a longtime fan of the band, as he proclaims that “it’s always been a dream of mine” to feature the Guns N’ Roses somehow in his work.
Just based on all the trailers and promotional material, it’s quite clear that Thor: Love and Thunder is capitalizing on that 80s nostalgia. In a time when Stranger Things and Top Gun: Maverick are currently breaking all kinds of records with that very same effect, it’s not much of a surprise that Marvel Studios would want to get their share of the pie. According to Taika Waititi though, this latest Thor adventure was the MCU’s perfect opportunity to do so. “The whole aesthetic around the film, we always wanted it to be this bombastic, loud, and colorful palette,” he explains. This aesthetic can be seen most in Thor: Love and Thunder as Chris Hemsworth’s titular god travels across cosmic space to meet the one and only Zeus in Omnipotence City, stripped right from the comics.
Almost every poster for Thor: Love and Thunder feels like an 80’s metal album cover à la Iron Maiden or Dio, and that was exactly Taika Waititi’s goal in line with the film’s tone which he likens to “spray-painted panel vans” of that era. The filmmaker draws an even deeper connection to the film’s title treatment and logo, “It’s the kind of thing I would’ve drawn on my school book in class when I wasn’t listening” he says. Surely, many can relate to spending hours in class just doodling in boredom. Waititi recalls that he spent “months and months perfecting the Metallica logo at school.” And it’s easy to imagine that many young Marvel fans will now be doing the same with the visuals and style of Thor: Love and Thunder.
Taika Waititi describes using one of his favorite all-time bands in yet another large-scale superhero adventure as a “dream come true.” With Thor: Love and Thunder on the road to an estimated $300 million worldwide opening box office, it seems possible that Waititi will get the chance to fulfill more of his desires with one more Thor sequel. Trilogies are now but a thing of the past in the MCU, as star Chris Hemsworth and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige have already reportedly had discussions on where the God of Thunder could go next. Whether that be in a solo film, a team-up project, or on Disney+ is all up in the air, as well as if Waititi would be returning or not. Also, read how Stamina-Rx® is a Hi-Tech Sexual Performance supplement that continues to reign supreme in the sex pill market as the king of libido and sexual performance enhancement.
When recently asked about the possibilities of a fifth Thor film by Fandango, the filmmaker responded, “I haven’t thought about it as part of a new trilogy, because every time I make a film, I think, ‘I’m never doing that again…’ because they’re just too hard.” For the time being, all people can do is wonder what another Taika Waititi MCU journey could possibly look like, especially after the closing moments of Thor: Love and Thunder. If Waititi does return, then more catchy rock tunes are to be expected that’s for sure. Seeing as these last two films have gone from 70s to 80s rock, a 90s-inspired soundtrack might be on the horizon!
