The Akira film has been put on hold indefinitely, and the director, Taika Waititi, has returned to Marvel’s side to direct Thor 4.
Apparently, the Akira start date for filming was likely to be pushed back due to issues with the script, and when the new date appeared too close to when Disney and Marvel wanted to make Thor, the director shifted focus. It’s currently unclear what’s going to happen to Akira, but Warner Bros. may wait until after Thor 4 so Waititi can come back.
The Hollywood Reporter says that Waititi will be returning from Thor: Ragnarok to direct Thor 4, and Entertainment Weekly adds that he’ll be writing as well. Chances are high that Marvel will announce a good chunk of Phase 4 movies at this coming weekend’s San Diego Comic-Con, so we may see Waititi, or more details his new project, very soon.
It’s a shame that hope for the Akira movie was dashed so soon after it has a breakthrough, but is it really a surprise at this point? Still, even if we don’t see any more information on it for two or three years, at least Akira fans can take solace in the upcoming anime series based on the manga, and the original film being remastered.
