Here's why Natalie Portman initially left the Thor movie franchise after Thor: The Dark World. Portman will be making her glorious return to the MCU in Taika Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder, reprising her role as Jane Foster and, more importantly, transforming into Mighty Thor. Portman has been absent from the MCU for quite some time, so why did she originally exit the Thor franchise?

Jane Foster was first introduced as an astrophysicist in 2011's Thor. After investigating New Mexico with her team, she encountered the God of Thunder and quickly got caught up in the demigod's Asgardian conflict. Jane later became Thor's love interest and returned in Thor: The Dark World. While snooping around an abandoned warehouse, Jane was infected by the Aether, the liquified form of the Reality Stone. The Aether was later drawn out of Jane and Thor helped save the day with the help of his allies on Earth. The relationship between Thor and Jane seemed fine by the end of the movie, but that was clearly not the case following Thor: The Dark World.

Related: Female Thor Explained: How Jane Foster Became Worthy

Jane was mentioned in passing in other MCU installments but Natalie Portman didn't appear in any films. The character did make a cameo appearance in Avengers: Endgame, but the scenes were put together using deleted footage from Thor: The Dark World. Portman did, however, record new lines that the Russo Brothers could use in the movie. Even with Portman's involvement, there was no real indication that she would be returning to the Thor franchise, or the MCU for that matter, especially based on the reasons why she left in the first place.

Why Natalie Portman Left Thor

Thor and Jane looking at each other in Thor Love and Thunder

Up until Thor: Ragnarok, Portman was the female lead of the Thor films, so it was surprising when Jane Foster disappeared from the franchise. In 2016, the actress was asked about her future with the MCU in which she claimed to be "done" playing Jane Foster as far as she knew. The interview (via WSJ) indicated that Portman's split from Marvel was amicable considering she shared her positive feelings about her time working on the franchise. But that may not have been the case.

Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige claimed that Jane was absent from Thor: Ragnarok due to the fact that the movie primarily took place in the cosmos. Tessa Thompson notably took over as a new female lead, Valkyrie. In truth, the decision to remove Portman from the third Thor film was made well before the movie was being developed. Before Alan Taylor directed Thor: The Dark World, Patty Jenkins was at the helm. Due to creative differences, Jenkins was fired from the Thor sequel. Portman was very displeased with the firing and its subsequent effect on her role; it's been suggested that the actress only agreed to the sequel because of Jenkins' involvement.

Why Natalie Portman Came Back To Marvel

Thor love and thunder poster highlights biggest problem too much jane foster korg valkyrie

Taila Waitit's Thor: Ragnarok approach might have brought Natalie Portman back. In 2018, Portman shared that she was open to returning to the MCU, although that comment felt more like a way to show there was no longer any bad blood between the actress and the studio; it still seemed like Thor: The Dark World was Portman's last appearance.

Related: Why Taika Waititi Brought Jane Foster Back In Thor: Love & Thunder

The reason for Portman's return likely lies in the completely fresh creative direction. Waititi takes a much different approach to Thor compared to other directors, and he must have done well at selling Thor: Love and Thunder. It also helps that Jane will no longer be just a love interest. Playing Mighty Thor is much more appealing, especially for someone like Portman who is an advocate for giving women bigger opportunities on both sides of the camera.

Thor 4 Gives Natalie Portman Scope To Evolve Jane Foster

Split image of Jane Foster Thor from the MCU and Marvel Comics.

Until Thor 4, the Jane Foster of the MCU and Jane Foster of the comic books were different characters. After her departure from screens, the MCU Jane Foster was little more than a plot device played for laughs. It wasn't ineffective – the idea of a Thunder God becoming a mopey frat boy because his mortal girlfriend dumped him is, after all, hilarious. Foster in Thor and Thor: Dark World was intelligent as far as the love interests of the late 00s/early 2010s go, but she wasn't fleshed out much beyond being something for Hemsworth's Thor to pine over when the narrative required him to get motivated.

The Jane Foster of the comic books is literally a Thor. This isn't a What If? scenario, an alternate timeline, or part of a gender-swapped dimension like DC comics' Earth 11. She is fully and canonically, the wielder of Mjolnir and has all the power that comes with it. She's not a god, either. Bar a few wheres and whens of minor details, the comic Jane Foster and MCU Jane Foster have similar, mortal origins. Thor: Love and Thunder is finally giving Portman the chance to grow the MCU's Jane Foster into a character resembling the doctor-turned-godly-warrior of her comics counterpart.

As the trailers have shown, Natalie Portman/Jane Foster is considerably more muscular in Thor 4. Her costume design has also been given a huge overhaul. Acting is a job, but that doesn't mean actors like Portman don't get as excited as everyone else when they see how the characters they portray on-screen evolve in other mediums. Thor: Love and Thunder finally grants Natalie Portman the opportunity to play the superheroic Jane Foster of Marvel's comic continuity, rather than the relatively two-dimensional love interest seen in the MCU so far.

Next: What Thor: Love & Thunder's Title Means

Want more Thor: Love & Thunder articles? Check out our essential content below...

Key Release Dates