Thor: Love and Thunder Director Taika Waititi Releases COVID-19 Message for New Zealand

During these trying times, it’s nice to know that folks like Taika Waititi can still provide some much-needed laughs. The director who will soon be helming Thor: Love and Thunder took to social media today to send a message to COVID-19 and to his home country, New Zealand. Waititi, who just won his first Academy Award last month for writing Jojo Rabbit, posted a video and captioned it, “Wash your back, Aotearoa. Mā tātau katoa e ārai atu te.” “Aotearoa” is the Māori name for New Zealand, and “Mā tātau katoa e ārai atu te” roughly translates to “we should all avoid” in English.

“You might be coming for us, COVID, but you better believe we’re coming for you,” Waititi says in the video. “So watch your back. Don’t wash your back, watch your back. You don’t need to wa… we’re the ones washing our backs, that’s what you got us doing. We’re washing everything. We’re washing our backs, our hands, our heads, our ears… I’m so sick of washing stuff! But you, you need to watch your back, because we’re behind you.” You can watch the video below:

This isn’t Waititi’s first post about COVID-19. The director also had a message for people who are hoarding toilet paper. “Now is the perfect opportunity to get motivated, workout, and come out of this absolutely shredded. Sadly we’re human and will probably come out of it looking like the people from Wall-E,” Waititi wrote on Twitter. “‘Stay safe’. Also stop buying all that toilet paper, you weirdos. What’s wrong with you? Maybe get your ass tested instead,” he added on Instagram.

Waititi will soon be returning to Marvel to direct Thor: Love and Thunder. Not only will Chris Hemsworth’s Thor be the first MCU hero to get a fourth installment to their respective franchise within the franchise, but the movie will also see the return Natalie Portman as Jane Foster and Tessa Thompson King Valkyrie. Waititi is also working on Next Goal Wins, which is based on the documentary of the same name. The film followed the American Samoa soccer team and their Dutch coach, Thomas Rongen, as he attempted “the nearly impossible task” of transforming the team into “perennial losers into winners.” It was also recently announced that Waititi will be making two Charlie and the Chocolate Factory shows for Netflix.

For those who are worried about the spread of the coronavirus, the CDC offers a litany of tips, including covering coughs and sneezes, avoiding large gatherings or close contact with people who are sick, and washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.