Fan-Favorite MCU Director Has a New Special Coming to Disney+ for the Holidays

by

Taika Waititi, the Oscar-winning director known for films like Jojo Rabbit and the popular Marvel movie Thor: Ragnarok, has a new special now streaming on Disney+. Though his follow-up, Love & Thunder, wasn’t as well-received, Waititi remains a beloved director among Marvel fans.

Taika Waititi, known for directing last year’s The Boy & the Octopus, returns this year to direct Best Christmas Ever, Disney’s new holiday short. You can now watch this festive special on Disney+ just in time for the holiday season.

The movie Best Christmas Ever features Molly Cartwright, recently seen in The Conjuring: Last Rites, as a girl who includes a simple drawing on her Christmas wish list.

Filled with Christmas magic, Santa thought Molly’s drawing was a wish and magically made it real, appearing under the tree.

Molly and Doodles became fast friends, spending their time swimming, going on rides, and treating themselves to ice cream. However, there was always one problem…

Poor Doodles couldn’t talk because Molly had forgotten to draw a mouth on him, and this became a problem when carol singers arrived at the door.

Despite everything, Molly had a final request for Santa. He gave her a Mr. Potato Head, and she happily stuck the mouth and mustache onto her dog, Doodles.

Doodles excitedly announced, “Mouth! I have a mouth! Oh wow, I have so much to tell you. You’re the best friend in the world!” This was said in a voice that sounded just like John Goodman, known for his roles in Roseanne and Monsters, Inc. Goodman provides the voice for Doodles in this year’s Holiday Short.

What’s Next for Taika Waititi and Is He Returning to Marvel?

Taika Waititi’s next project with Disney is a new series called Very Young Frankenstein for FX. He’ll be directing and executive producing the pilot, which is based on Mel Brooks’ classic 1974 film Young Frankenstein. The series will star Zach Galifianakis, Kumail Nanjiani, Dolly Wolls, and Cary Elwes.

Okay, so things aren’t looking great for Taika Waititi and his future with Marvel. I’m hearing whispers that if Thor 5 actually happens after Avengers: Secret Wars, they’re likely going to replace him as director. It’s a real shame, considering how much fun Ragnarok and Love & Thunder were, but it seems his run with the God of Thunder might be coming to an end.

Waititi isn’t leaving the superhero genre entirely. This summer, The Hollywood Reporter announced he’ll be rebooting Judge Dredd, a comic he’s been a fan of for years. He’s collaborating with Drew Pearce, the writer of The Fall Guy, on what industry insiders are calling a highly sought-after project.

Taika Waititi was one of several prominent filmmakers who started working on a Star Wars movie a few years ago, describing his concept as a “really good idea.” However, like many Star Wars projects in the early stages, there hasn’t been much progress or indication that it will actually be made.

Taika Waititi Breaks Silence on His Disney+ Christmas Special

With the release of Best Christmas Ever, Disney also shared a behind-the-scenes video with director Taika Waititi, giving viewers a look at how the holiday special was made.

Waititi noted that Best Christmas Ever‘s simple, childlike perspective gives it a distinctly Disney feel, emphasizing themes of friendship and imagination.

As a lifelong Disney fan, what I really love about this story is how it’s told from a kid’s perspective. It’s magical to see the everyday world – the one we adults often overlook – through the eyes of a child. And this one centers on the power of friendship and imagination, which feels very true to the heart of Disney storytelling.

The director seemed as immersed in the scene as you’d expect from someone who also performed motion capture for characters like Korg and Surtur in his Thor films. During the touching carol-singing moment, he appears to be playing the role of one of the 2D-animated Doodles within Molly’s cheerful family.

Animator Adam Droy from Untold Studios described how they created the Doodles, aiming for a look that was imperfect but still appealing.

The drawings had to be a little imperfect, but still appealing. We used many classic 2D animation methods, and the character was designed to look like it was drawn with crayons, no matter the viewpoint.

The full BTS featurette, featuring Taika Waititi, can be watched below:

A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever is streaming now on Disney+.

Read More

2025-11-20 00:36