Kenneth Branagh did a great job when he introduced the MCU's God of Thunder in 2011's Thor, and when Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor was tapped to helm Thor: The Dark World, we all expected the hero's world to be injected with some of that Westeros grittiness. Instead, the 2013 release was a disappointment.
Taika Waititi drastically reinvented the hero in the colourful Thor: Ragnarok, putting a comedic spin on the Asgardian's corner of this shared world. Lightning didn't strike twice, though, and last year's Thor: Love and Thunder was nothing if not hit-and-miss.
While not an outright failure (it was far from Marvel Studios' worst-performing movie, both critically and commercially), something about it didn't work. Many fans have argued that Waititi was given too much freedom, while even Chris Hemsworth has acknowledged that the movie missed the mark and was too silly.
Despite Disney CEO Bob Iger's suggestion that Marvel Studios needs to focus less on sequels, a new rumour from scooper Daniel Richtman claims Thor 5 is officially in development.
However, Waititi will not return and the hunt is on for a new director to put their spin on this iconic character. This is interesting because the trades debunked reports about a fifth instalment being in the works earlier this fall; it's possible the end of the WGA strike has changed things.
Thor: Love and Thunder wrapped up by setting the stage for the title hero to clash with Hercules, but that's a story we could eventually see play out elsewhere.
Whatever the case may be, a new Thor movie still hasn't been officially announced and it will likely be in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty we next see the Odinson blast into action. Perhaps Destin Daniel Cretton can reinvent the hero before a new solo adventure follows?
Either way, Waititi has recently addressed the complaints about Thor: Love and Thunder's wacky tone by saying, "Some audiences really loved the humor part of it. Some audiences really wanted it to be just like the comics. But, you know, I always say, if you want it to be exactly like the comics read the comic. You've got to change things here and there to make it a film."
Are you excited about a possible Thor 5?