Taika Waititi to direct Thor 4

Director Taika Waititi, who weaved a global box-office spell with Thor: Ragnarok, is all set to return to the franchise, helming Thor 4.

Waititi has sealed a deal to write and direct the new sequel after uniting Thor and Hulk in the 2017 blockbuster, Thor: Ragnarok, which was the third film of the series. This development likely means that Waititi's long-in-development Akira adaptation will be put on hold indefinitely.

In Thor: Ragnarok, Waititi infused his distinct style of humour and music into the narrative. "There was a conscious effort to put every colour known to man and every weird piece of music. We just wanted to make this movie into a big, lovable, funny fist and then punch the audience straight in the face," Waititi had said while promoting Ragnarok in Sydney. 

In the 2017 film, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is reunited with fellow Avenger, Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and the duo go on a journey to save Asgard. The movie, whose cast also included Cate Blanchett, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, and Anthony Hopkins, registered $854 million in business at the worldwide box office. 

Hemsworth is expected to be back as the God of Thunder in the new Thor film, though an official announcement is awaited.