Director Taika Waititi (“Thor: Ragnarok,” “Thor: Love & Thunder”) had recently bowed out of the running to tackle a hypothetical “Thor 5” while stating that franchise star Chris Hemsworth was “talking to” Marvel about the next installment. However, Marvel and Disney have yet to officially announce plans for “Thor 5.” As soon as it was clear that Waititi wasn’t returning, suddenly an online rumor pegged Gareth Edwards (“Rogue One,” “Godzilla,” “The Creator”) as a potential contender. Well, that might not actually be the case.

The filmmaker has seemingly debunked this rumbling while appearing on Bro Bible’s Post Credit Podcast (via ThePlaylist). He was aware of the rumor making the rounds on the internet while suggesting it wasn’t real but it still amused him and clarified he’s more interested in “pursuing original sci-fi” instead of any other franchise projects.

“I saw those rumors too. I saw it and I jokingly sent it to my girlfriend. I just texted her the link and said, ‘I didn’t want you to find out this way.’ I’ve never heard anything about it. It’s totally… the internet is an incredible place,” said Edwards.

He added, “I love those movies. I love Marvel, a lot of my friends work on Marvel films. I’m very excited about the future of cinema, personally. I feel like everything we did differently on ‘The Creator’ is probably the strongest part of the film. And I just want to push that even further, so having the freedom and being able to take risks, being allowed to fail. I think that’s all an important part of any creativity.”

Pouring more cold water on the potential of him jumping toward the MCU.

“I love all the other movies and franchises, I go to see them. I have most of them on my DVD/Blu-ray shelf. But I really want to keep pursuing original sci-fi. Was that a very politically correct answer? I never say never. In the right circumstances, absolutely.”

Edwards never made much sense given his infamous experience with Disney/Lucasfilm making “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (the studio brought in Tony Gilroy to rewrite/reshoot scenes) and focusing his energy these days on original ideas with “The Creator,” which could lead to more budget-conscious projects that allow him to have way more creative freedom than being a hired-gun on an existing franchise.

We still don’t even know if “Thor 5” is going to happen and will have to wait for Kevin Feige to share an update. Given that, even a hint of a sequel hasn’t come from Marvel. Then again, there are plenty of unused characters and Norse mythology for the studio to mine for a fifth installment such as the Midgard Serpent, The Einherjar (dead warriors waiting to fight in Ragnarok), the Light Elves in the realm of Alfheim, Ulik of the Rock Trolls, and Balder The Brave.

SOURCE: POST CREDIT PODCAST