Credit: DisneyAs Marvel Studios fans anxiously await the opening date of Walt Disney World Resort’s very first Marvel-themed ride — the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind roller coaster at EPCOT — there may be some more exciting news first.
Related: First Look: Guardians of the Galaxy Coaster Ride Vehicles
A new report from the Disney Dish podcast indicates that writer, director, and actor Taika Waititi — who won the 2020 Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award for JoJo Rabbit — may soon be filming scenes for the coaster at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT theme park.
Per host Jim Hill via The DisInsider:
Taika Waititi is filming new material for scenes in the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. “They haven’t filmed the film elements…There’s a lot of folks at Imagineering that are just thanking the lord that Taika Waititi is shooting Thor: Love and Thunder starting in January in Sydney.”
For those living under a rock, Waititi will have the Guardians in Australia, as they are set to appear in Thor: Love and Thunder. Waititi will shoot the sequences for Cosmic Rewind in conjunction with Love and Thunder. “This is the first time Taika’s shot for a theme park ride.”
Although Disney hasn’t confirmed that the popular Oscar Award and Emmy Award winner will be filming, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Waititi — who voices Korg in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and is set to reprise the role in Thor: Love and Thunder (2020) — appear in the new Marvel ride.
When Disneyland Resort’s Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure was re-themed to Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout!, director James Gunn and the full Guardians crew — Chris Pratt (Peter Quill/Starlord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Bradley Cooper (Rocket Raccoon), Dave Bautista (Drax), Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel (Groot), and Benecio Del Toro (The Collector) all returned to be part of the attraction.
Related: James Gunn Returns For ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’
For Waititi’s part, his next major project is Thor: Love and Thunder, followed by his first foray into Lucasfilm’s Star Wars movie universe. Waititi previously voiced droid IG-11 in Season 1 of The Mandalorian and directed the Season 1 finale of the hit Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni series.
Details of Waititi’s Star Wars film — slated for a 2025 release — have not been officially revealed, but some astute fans have picked-up on clues that may reveal the overarching storyline. Waititi has confirmed that he’s both begun writing and scouting locations for his project set in a galaxy far, far away.
Star Wars fans are excited about the filmmaker’s new Star Wars movie, which is likely to be a theatrical release. Disney and Lucasfilm executives have not yet announced whether or not the film will premiere both in theaters and on Disney+ or not — although Disney has restructured to focus primarily on streaming, they haven’t given-up theatrical films either.
Are you excited about the possibility of Taika Waititi being involved in Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind?