Taika Waititi says Thor 5 villain needs to be more formidable than Hela

Last Updated on August 24, 2023

As one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has gone up against some formidable villains, but if Thor 5 ever happens, he will need to face off against the strongest baddie yet.

Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi expressed as much in the Thor: Love and Thunder The Official Movie Special (via ScreenRant). “What is left to do to him?” Waititi said. “It’s got to be something that feels like it’s carrying on with the evolution of the character, but still in a very fun way and still giving him things to come up against that feel like they’re building on the obstacles that he has to overcome.” The director added, “I don’t think we can have a villain that’s weaker than Hela. I feel like we need to step up from there and add a villain that’s somehow more formidable.“

In Thor: Ragnorak, Thor came to the realization that he couldn’t beat Hela (Cate Blanchett) himself and could only truly defeat her by allowing Ragnarök to happen. Would Thor 5 really be able to present a villain more formidable than Hela?

Taika Waititi said that the Thor franchise “lends itself towards big, inventive, colourful creatures and aliens and things from different worlds. There’s a fun element to him and he has a casualness and a sort of swagger about him when he visits these worlds and encounters these aliens that I don’t think you’d get when it’s an earthling travelling through space exploring the universe.“

While Thor: Ragnarok brought a much-needed refresh to the franchise, Thor: Love and Thunder overdid it, with many fans thinking it was too silly despite the serious subject matter. Although the film ended with the promise that “Thor will return,” it remains to be seen exactly when that will happen. Chris Hemsworth is game for more, provided they can revamp the character once again. “I love the experience,” Hemsworth said. “I love the fact that I’ve been able to do something fairly different throughout the process. Thor 1 and 2 were their own thing, Thor 3 and 4 were a very different feel… and then even Avengers, the Lebowski Thor, the Infinity War Thor, due to different directors and I think mostly my own need to do something different. You know, I got sick of the character pretty quick every couple of years.“

If Thor 5 does happen, what villain should the God of Thunder face off against?