By Gabriellea Parino
Warning! Some spoilers ahead. After more than a decade after the first Thor movie debuted, the fan-favorite god of thunder returns to the screen with a new adventure with the premiere of Thor: Love and Thunder.
The movie follows the Asgardians of the galaxy into a new adventure involving the defeat of the God-butcher Gorr (Christian Bale). Fans remain too nostalgic for the comedic brilliance of director Taika Waititi, who brought back a familiar face to the screen alongside Thor: Jane Foster.
Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster returns as the “Mighty Thor” who now wields the hammer Mjolnir.
“They came to me with the fourth idea and said, ‘You know that we have this idea that was a storyline in some of the comics where Jane becomes Lady Thor,” said Portman in an interview.
Portman, who debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster, left the franchise after the studio decided to part ways with director Patty Jenkins for the second installment, Thor: The Dark World.
Displeased, Portman chose to distance herself from the franchise altogether. The character was then written off but occasionally mentioned throughout the franchise’s other films after Portman’s decision.
However, in an interview, Portman revealed that she was ecstatic when the studio approached her about the idea of reprising the role for the fourth installment. The Thor-star also gushed about working with Taika Waititi as the director heavily influenced her decision to return for Love and Thunder.
“I was so excited to [get] to work with him that I think I would’ve said yes to anything he asked me to do,” the actress gushed.
Portman’s Jane Foster was initially introduced as Thor’s love interest, with her character development heavily influenced by the title character’s story.
The fourth installment sheds new light on Jane Foster—it takes her out of the shadows as more independent and empowering.
Love and Thunder revamped Natalie Portman’s character to explore outside the box and live up to her potential as the worthy Mighty Thor.
Thor: Love and Thunder now screens in theaters nationwide.