A collective shiver went down the spine of the Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom when Taika Waititi‘s thoughts on what a prospective Thor 5 would entail began making the rounds, but one disappointing comic book adaptation seems to have everyone forgetting he’s actually one of the most consistently acclaimed filmmakers of the modern era.
That’s not even hyperbole, either, with his various credits as a writer, director, and producer virtually drowning in rave reviews, audience appreciation, and awards season glory. Between 2007’s Eagle vs. Shark gaining a 56 percent Rotten Tomatoes approval rating and last year’s Thor: Love and Thunder scoring 63 percent on the aggregation site, Waititi was on a hot streak that very new names in the entire industry could hold a candle to.
Boy was Certified Fresh with an 88 percent critical rating and 86 percent audience ranking, What We Do in the Shadows netted 96 and 87, Hunt for the Wilderpeople fared even better at 97 and 91, Ragnarok is still held up as one of the MCU’s very best at 93 and 87, he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as Jojo Rabbit secured 80 and 94 percent from critics and crowds on Rotten Tomatoes, and that’s just on the big screen.
He co-created What We Do in the Shadows spin-off Wellington Paranormal (98 and 89 percent on the respective Tomatometers), executive produces the TV series of the same name (98 and 92), while he also serves as an EP and star on the beloved Our Flag Means Death (93 and 94), not to mention his co-creator status on Reservation Dogs (99 and 90).
Quite frankly, those numbers are nothing short of astonishing, and yet all it takes is one MCU misfire for the tides to turn despite a decade and a half long run of almost nothing but top-tier output.