Ragnarok director Taika Waititi has always thrived on chaos, and Brawl Stars is no different

Thor: Ragnarok and Love and thunder Director Taika Waititi is certainly no stranger to mayhem—if it wasn't already evident in his ability to take serious stories with comedic undercurrents and essentially flip the script by creating comedies that tell stories instead. He has often commented that he can't be taken seriously, even jokingly calling himself “lazy” because he prefers to keep things simple and doesn't mind them being messed up. And yet he won an Oscar for his film adaptation Yoyo Rabbit and has earned a lot of recognition for his work in other fields as well. Needless to say, when he finds an environment that thrives on chaos rather than rigidity, he tends to prefer it. Therefore, his recent collaboration with Brawl Stars developer Supercell makes sense, and even why he likes to play the game in his spare time.

Brawl Stars recently launched its 101st brawler, Najia – a launch that was accompanied by a trailer that Waititi actually wrote. Drawing on the same unpredictable energy that defines much of his film work, the animated short follows Najia in the strange, puzzle-filled world of Pyramid Quest as things quickly unravel before her. It's not an individual translation of his style, but his imprints are clearly there, especially in how the trailer embraces the idea that things don't always go according to plan. This ultimately matches how Waititi himself sees it Brawl Stars as a game he said in a recent interview with GameRant works best when players stop trying to control everything and simply surrender to the chaos.

Taiko Waititi's chaotic creativity is why his Brawl Stars collaboration makes sense

It's interesting that Waititi is acting Brawl Stars for a while, mainly as a way to bond with his kids while he's gone. That doesn't mean he didn't enjoy it though, as he claims it was the chaotic nature of the game that drew him to it. After being introduced to the game by his brother-in-law, he quickly saw it as an experience that was perfectly fine for him as someone who prefers things not to be clean, tidy or restrictive. When asked what made him want to return to acting, Waititi replied:

“I was just drawn to the chaos and the chaotic nature of the game and the eclectic worlds and there are so many players. I was actually overwhelmed at first with so many buttons and so many options and so much this and this and this and I was like, 'Oh, there's too much stuff!' it's okay if you lose, the great thing about me is that I keep winning, and because I'm stressed when I lose, it's a pretty good lesson, like, it's okay, they're little cartoon characters.

This perspective isn't something Waititi stumbled into Brawl Stars either In fact, it's been a defining part of his filmmaking for years. In movies like Thor: Ragnarok, Yoyo Rabbitand even What we do in the shadowsWaititi has consistently preferred stories that feel loose, unpredictable, and willing to change at a moment's notice. His films are also rarely one-dimensional, jumping between absurdist comedy and genuine emotional weight, sometimes in the same scene, creating an experience that is deliberately unbalanced in order to maintain audience engagement and relatability.

It is often about unpredictability. Waititi has openly gravitated towards what he describes as disruptive or chaotic forces, using them as a creative engine rather than something to control. Yoyo Rabbitfor example, he took one of the darkest periods in history and filtered it through satire and a child's imagination, using humor as a way to disarm and challenge the audience. WITH Thor: Ragnarokapplied the same instinct to the blockbuster franchise, taking a traditionally serious character and portraying her as someone far more playful—even random.

In movies like Thor: Ragnarok, Yoyo Rabbitand even What we do in the shadowsWaititi has consistently preferred stories that feel loose, unpredictable, and willing to change at a moment's notice.

But that is ultimately why his collaboration with Brawl Stars it makes sense. Whether he's directing a movie or writing a short animated trailer, Waitito's goal to create something that feels alive, a little chaotic, and open to surprise tends to remain the same. In this sense, his with him about Brawl Stars is not just a commentary on his experiences with the game, but almost a reflection of the same philosophy that his work has always been built on.

Waititi's love for Naji boils down to how quiet she is

Interestingly enough, Waititi is working on the Najia launch trailer Brawl Stars not necessarily because she's a chaotic character, but because she's quiet. For the acclaimed writer/director, Brawl 101's most endearing characteristic is the fact that he doesn't speak, as he confirmed when asked what he likes most about Najia:

“Her silence. She's just mysterious and you don't really know anything about her. And she's unflappable and kind of cold, calm, but she also feels impatient, she doesn't suffer from mistakes. I also liked that I didn't have to write a lot of dialogue for someone because, you know, she doesn't talk. So it was amazing, and I could do it in a more classic way rather than showing what I'm attracted to.” and the fact that she sort of rules this world of chaos within the chaos inside the pyramid, where nothing makes sense to us, it only makes sense to her and her snakes. I also like female characters.”

This idea of ”showing rather than telling” has actually been another consistent thread throughout Waititi's career. Even in his earlier films like What we do in the shadows or Hunt for the Wilderpeopleoften uses visual humor, awkward silences, and character behavior to carry a scene rather than exposition. There's a kind of controlled looseness to those moments that feel like they've almost hit a little closer to home than a carefully crafted exchange of dialogue could. This approach has followed him into larger productions, where he is known for encouraging improvisation and letting actors experiment with their performances rather than giving them strict boundaries with his direction.

So is Naji's silence in the Pyramid Quest pro trailer Brawl Stars fits perfectly with how Waititi usually thinks about storytelling. It allows him to lean on the visual narrative and atmosphere while letting the surrounding chaos carry the experience forward. This balance between restraint and unpredictability is something Waititi has perfected over the years, and it's a big part of why his work, whether on a Hollywood film or a short trailer, continues to stand out.