Beloved Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi has playfully fired back at Duncan Garner, after The AM Show host claimed he was "sabotaging New Zealand" by calling the country "racist as f**k".
The Thor: Ragnarok director pre-empted Garner's comments overnight after making numerous headlines both here and abroad following his remarks in UK magazine Dazed.
"It's racist as f**k," he told them.
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"I think New Zealand is the best place on the planet, but it's a racist place. People just flat-out refuse to pronounce Māori names properly."
After causing a stir in New Zealand, Waititi jokingly wondered whether Garner would offer a response.
After Garner did actually respond on The AM Show on Tuesday morning, Waititi laid into him further, ridiculing the claim his criticism of New Zealand had "gone too far" with a Batman reference.
"What Duncan was really trying to say: 'He's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now, so we'll hunt him,'" tweeted Waititi.
"'Because he can take it, because he's not a hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a Dark Knight.'
"Thanks, Duncan. Keep my secret safe."
He did also offer a more serious response on Twitter, adding that there was such thing as "racist Māori", but that it just proves racism is "everywhere".
Earlier, Garner had urged Waititi to "lighten up, and change the record".
"Come home and re-introduce yourself to your country," he said.
"It's a great little country that's not without its challenges, but we're not as racist as 'F'."
Newshub.
