Fans on Twitter/X have weighed in with their hot takes on who should be the one to direct Thor 5 now that Taika Waititi is out of the running.

With Taika Waititi confirmed to not be returning to direct Thor 5, the question now hangs over who will take the reins of the franchise to help fix what the MCU’s Asgard has lost – and some Marvel fans have weighed in with their takes. Waititi made huge waves with his directorial MCU debut, Thor: Ragnarok, which revived Thor’s solo franchise following Thor: The Dark World‘s disappointing reception. This was largely due to how the movie capitalized on star Chris Hemsworth’s capacity for comedy, breathing fresh life into the Avenger who had previously presented in a more serious light.

Unfortunately, Thor: Love and Thunder failed to replicate its predecessor’s success as it leaned too heavily on levity in a movie that dealt with some distinctly somber plotlines. Aside from resulting in a tonal miasma, it also threatened to turn the God of Thunder into little more than a punchline protagonist, flouting the importance of Thor’s MCU legacy. Though it was still leagues away from being the worst MCU movie, fans on Twitter/X (via @CanWeGetToast) have agreed that Thor could benefit from a reversion in tone. Specifically, this would entail re-hiring the Director for Thor’s eponymous first movie: Kenneth Branagh. Check out the original post and some reactions below:

@CanWeHaveToast was the first to suggest that Thor could benefit from a return to more Shakespearean themes.

@MrVerse_ mirrored the sentiment, but suggested that Thor should maintain some of the humor conveyed in Thor: Ragnarok.

@ttime3519, meanwhile, decries the audience’s apparent pivot from enjoying the humor in Thor: Ragnarok to condemning it in Thor: Love & Thunder.

@iisneel went so far as to suggest, somewhat controversially, that the original Thor is the best of all four of Thor’s movies.

@TCAlexChen2021, among others, floated the idea that Beta Ray Bill, whose visage made a cameo in Thor: Ragnarok as one of Grandmaster’s champions, should feature as one of Thor 5‘s main characters as a priority, regardless of tone.

Meanwhile @MedicatedEmu joined many others in championing Branagh’s work on the original movie, going so far as to state a more grounded tone should have followed Avengers: Endgame as a result of Thor’s character growth in the climactic movie of the Infinity Saga.

Why Thor 5 Would Benefit From Phase 1’s Tone

By the time Thor 5 releases, Chris Hemsworth will have broken new ground by becoming the most consistent superhero actor in history, a record previously held by Superman actor Christopher Reeves. This alone is evidence of how fundamental Hemsworth’s Thor has been to the MCU, and it is a legacy that demands recognition on a par with Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, whose iconic redemption arc in Loki culminated in the embodiment of his role as a true god. This makes Thor 5 an exceptionally important outing – and potentially Hemsworth’s last – for the titular hero. Such circumstances require a certain level of gravitas that Thor: Love and Thunder failed to deliver.

Branagh, whose Shakespearean credentials were plain to see in Thor, could be the perfect answer to Thor’s recent pivot towards silliness. Should Thor 5 also mark the end of Hemsworth’s tenure as the Asgardian founding Avenger, it would also lend itself to a satisfying full-circle conclusion to his story. This would mirror how Loki’s final words were drawn from his own groundbreaking appearance in Kenneth Branagh’s Thor. That is not to say that Thor’s proclivity for humor should be completely avoided, as it has become one of his most enjoyable characteristics, but a return to the composure of his first appearance could be exactly what the hero needs.