Thor: Love and Thunder includes a sneaky reference to The Rock, Taika Waititi confirms

Director Taika Waititi has confirmed that a joke in the third act of Thor: Love and Thunder was, as many thought, a reference to Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

Spoilers for Thor: Love and Thunder follow.

Thanks to Korg’s voiceover, we discover that he’s found a partner of his own by the time the MCU movie reaches its conclusion. He is holding hands in a pool of lava with his new partner Dwayne – who is also made of rocks.

In reply to a fan pointing out the similarities between Dwayne being made of rocks and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Waititi said on Twitter that it was "no coincidence", thereby confirming that the name was very much intentional.

Waititi and star Chris Hemsworth, though, were a little more surprised by something else that made the cut: A post-credits message stating that ‘Thor will return’

"I’m not joking. I saw it in the theater and I was like, 'Oh, shit. Really?' Even Chris was like, 'What?'" Waititi told Insider. "But, of course he'll be back. He's the best character. I mean, I may be a little biased, but he's the most fun to watch."

Johnson, meanwhile, is set to appear in a superhero movie for real as Black Adam. The DC movie is releasing in cinemas on October 21, 2022.

Thor: Love and Thunder is in theaters now. If you've already seen the movie, check out our guides to Thor: Love and Thunder ending explained, Thor: Love and Thunder post-credits scenes explained, and every Thor: Love and Thunder Easter egg you might have missed.