Much of Marvel's film success comes from the fact that each movie plays into the next - it's the building block upon which the Marvel cinematic universe exists. Characters, ideas and more flow through each movie in the series, oftentimes paying off years later.
It's precisely for that reason why it's so surprising to hear Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi say that not only has he not seen at least one major Marvel film, but that he actively sought to forget that two Thor films will have come before his.
"I made an effort to ignore the fact there are other Thor films," Waititi writes during a recent "Ask Me Anything" on Reddit, in response to a fan asking if Thor: Ragnarok would contain elements similar to that of the first two Thor films.
When asked about the tone of his upcoming film, Waititi says that the tone is "very different. Think CRAZY." He adds that the film is inspired by '70s and '80s fantasy/sci-fi art. As for the film's plot, he writes that Marvel had a huge influence on the film due to "knowing the universe way better than I do."
For example, Waititi revealed he has yet to see Captain America: Winter Soldier, but that Guardians of the Galaxy is his favorite and that he does actually watch Marvel films.
But even if Marvel did have large role to play in plotting out the film, it doesn't mean Waititi doesn't have any creative control over the project.
"It's just like how I make my other films except bigger," he says. "So far I've been given a lot of creative freedom."
He also mentions that Marvel has been very accepting of his style. Thor: Ragnarok will be one of Marvel's most "out there" movies, Waititi claims. If the "Team Thor" short is any indication of what to expect, it sounds like Waititi's movie will truly be unlike anything Marvel movies fans have seen before.
It sounds like Thor: Ragnarok will be mostly cut off from the rest of the Marvel cinematic universe then, which makes sense considering the movie will be set in the still relatively new cosmic side of the Marvel movie universe. Waititi does, however, tease that fans could probably expect a reference to Doctor Strange in the movie. As for other familiar faces, Hulk will play a major role in the film and Loki is set to return as well.
Thor: Ragnarok is set to release Nov. 3, 2017.
