Thor's Taika Waititi says a fifth movie would feature a villain even "more formidable" than Hela, the God of Thunder's sister who destroyed his hammer Mjölnir and, you know, kind of brought about the end of Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok.
In Titan's Thor: Love and Thunder The Official Movie Special book, the filmmaker teased what fans could expect from another sequel, and talked about how important it'd be to keep evolving Chris Hemsworth's titular superhero.
"What is left to do to him? 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," Waititi said (via Screenrant). "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."
He goes on to say that he'd love to continue adding "more and more outlandish and crazy beasts, monsters and aliens" to the franchise, and make the most of its cosmic setting. "There's a fun element to [Thor]," he adds. "He has a casualness and a sort or 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 traveling through space exploring the universe."
In Thor: Ragnarok, Thor and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) get the surprise of their lives when their dying father Odin reveals they have another sibling: Hela, also known as Asgard's Executioner and Goddess of Death. Gulp. Turns out, she was imprisoned long ago when Odin, who had previously encouraged her to try and conquer the Nine Realms had a change of heart – and couldn't control her bloodlust. His passing unleashes her once again, ultimately leading Thor and Loki to initiate a prophesized apocalypse as means to thwart her takeover.
Its follow-up, Thor: Love and Thunder, saw Thor, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and Korg (Waititi) face off against Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale). After the gods he and his people prayed to did nothing to prevent the destruction of his planet or the death of his daughter, Gorr vows to rid the world of all deities. During his mission, he comes across the Necrosword, a divine cursed weapon, that has the power to bring Thor and co to his knees.
A Thor 5 has yet to be announced, but we'll be sure to keep you posted. In the meantime, check out our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
I am an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.