Well, it looks like we may have confirmation on at least one of the films Marvel Studios will likely announce this weekend during their San Diego Comic-Con presentation, as
The Hollywood Reporter has learned today that Marvel is indeed moving forward with the long-rumored
Thor 4 and has confirmed that Taika Waititi will return to write and direct the follow-up to his 2017 blockbuster,
Thor: Ragnarok.
Chris Hemsworth has also been confirmed to reprise his role as the all-mighty God of Thunder.
The critically acclaimed
Thor: Ragnarok was far and away the most successful
Thor movie, both critically (93% RT) and commercially ($853.9M worldwide), so it shouldn't come as any surprise that Marvel Studios wanted to do everything they could to bring back Waititi.
In other news, Warner Bros.' long-gestating adaptation of the Japanese manga,
Akira, which had already been set for a May 21, 2021 release date, has been put on an indefinite hold.
Waititi had already begun testing actors across the world for roles, but issues with the film's script were forcing the studio to push back the original production start date, which, as per the latest delay, would've interfered with the shooting dates for
Thor 4. It's uncertain where the project goes from here, but THR notes that WB is very keen on keeping Waititi on board and hoping he may return to the director's chair after completing work on the upcoming
Thor sequel.
No word yet on a release date for
Thor 4, but if it's production could've possibly interfered with
Akira, it seems probable that Marvel Studios may be eyeing a mid-to-late 2020 shoot start date for a possible 2021 release.