Chris Hemsworth and Taika Waititi purposefully kept their friendship a secret from Marvel before the filmmaker for Thor: Ragnarok was chosen.
But why did they do so? The secret is out in a new behind-the-scenes book called The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry.
In that book, Waititi said that he thought not to tell the team about his and Hemsworth’s friendship, as he did not want to get a job because of his friend. Apart from that, Waititi thought that his friend might feel awkward due to this.
Waititi went on to say that they would frequently talk about what they wanted to accomplish to make it more funny and snarky. He also stated that he believes the main goal was to make the character very much like Chris. This is due to his sense of humor. His wit and comical abilities as an actor were crucial in bringing out the character.
It’s unknown when the duo first met, but Hemsworth was intrigued by the director upon seeing his 2010 movie Boy.
Chris Hemsworth – Taika Waititi Friendship was unknown to Marvel
“It felt like a first date,” Hemsworth remarked, recalling their first meeting to The Hollywood Reporter‘s Heat Vision. He also admitted that the first meeting was pretty awkward between them.
But when Waititi responded to it, he said, “Well, I don’t get awkward.” He continued, “He was probably just very nervous to meet me. You know what they say, don’t meet your heroes and all.”
Thor: Ragnarok, the third solo movie about the God of Thunder, was released in 2017, receiving critical acclaim. Fans and critics hailed Waititi for reviving the character and taking chances (such as cutting off Thor’s iconic long hair and smashing the hammer Mjolnir).
In 2011, Hemsworth debuted Marvel as the comic-book superhero Thor in the film Thor. Since then, he then featured in numerous other Thor films, despite being tired with the character and desiring a shift, particularly after the underwhelming response to the sequel Thor: The Dark World.
Executive producer Brad Winderbaum already had Waititi in mind while looking for a director for Ragnarok. It is because Brad was very impressed with Waititi’s works, What We Do in the Shadows and Boy.
Waititi’s pitch impressed Marvel Studios, and he got hired as the director of Ragnarok.
He and Hemsworth will reappear in the upcoming Thor sequel Thor: Love and Thunder, which will release on July 8.
