Natalie Portman can’t wait to ‘wield the hammer’ in Thor: Love and Thunder

Natalie Portman is looking forward to returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Mighty Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder.

Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster will return to the MCU in a big way when she takes on the mantle of Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder. Fans have been clamoring to see her iteration of the hero on the big screen for some time. And Portman is just as excited as the fans are for her character to don Mjölnir for the first time.

Portman expressed her eagerness to return while speaking with ET and, apparently, she didn’t hesitate when Marvel Studios approached her with the opportunity:

"“They came to me with the idea and said, ‘We have this idea for you that was a storyline in some of the comics where Jane becomes Lady Thor,’ and I was like, ‘This is very exciting!'”"

Jane Foster was notably absent from the third film in the franchise, Thor: Ragnarok, with the character only being mentioned briefly. With that film’s cosmic setting, there wasn’t much room for Jane to be included, a point that Portman acknowledges:

"“Obviously, I wasn’t written into [Thor: Ragnarok] because of where it took place. It wasn’t really on Earth, and my character is on Earth.”"

Aside from coming back to the world of Marvel, the actress is also looking forward to working with Taika Waititi and castmates Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. And of course, she’s anxious to wield the God of Thunder’s iconic weapon:

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"“I love Tessa [Thompson] and Chris [Hemsworth] so much, so it’s exciting to work with them again…And I’m very excited to wield the hammer.”"

The Mighty Thor has been a fan-favorite since she was first introduced back in 2014. Before this, she also popped up in a 1978 issue of What…?. This earlier appearance prompted Ashely Bradley, the showrunner of What If…?, to pitch the character for Marvel Studios’ upcoming animated series, before learning of Taika Waititi’s plans.

Reception to Portman’s performance as Foster has been mixed, with some criticizing her chemistry with Chris Hemsworth and her character’s limited role in the films. But since being announced, she’s been enthusiastic and is already researching the role. Hopefully, she and Waititi can breathe new life into the character just like the latter did with Thor. Thor: Love and Thunder strikes theaters on November 5, 2021.