Marvel's Disney+ shows could explain Jane Foster's return in Thor: Love & Thunder. Last seen in Thor: The Dark World (and some re-used footage in Avengers: Endgame), Natalie Portman's Jane Foster is set to return in 2021's Thor 4. But Jane Foster is no longer relegated to mere love interest; this time around she'll be wielding Mjolnir herself, in an arc based on Jason Aaron's Mighty Thor run.

But, of course, the MCU's Jane Foster is very different to the character seen in the comics. In the MCU, Jane Foster is one of the world's most notable scientists, an astrophysicist who has an unprecedented understanding of cosmic matters. According to Thor in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Jane went on to receive a Nobel Peace Prize, probably for her work on the Convergence. That raises the interesting question of just how Jane Foster could return to the MCU.

Related: Why Jane Foster Is The Greatest Thor Ever

Marvel's Disney+ shows are intended to introduce a wealth of new characters and concepts into the MCU. One of the most interesting is an organization called SWORD, already confirmed to appear in the WandaVision series. The "Sentient World Observation and Response Department," SWORD is an organization that represents Earth in matters of cosmic diplomacy, and monitors for potential extraterrestrial threats. One confirmed SWORD agent is Monica Rambeau, the teenage girl introduced in Captain Marvel, now an adult played by Teyonah Parris. It's entirely possible that Jane Foster is involved in SWORD as well.

Natalie Portman as Jane Foster in Thor

Brandon T. Snider's novel The Cosmic Quest Volume II: Aftermath is an MCU novel set shortly after the events of Avengers: Infinity War. It explores the consequences of the snap, and the unexpected deaths of half all living beings in the universe. One of the most important characters is Jane Foster, who is traveling the globe at the request of various world leaders, offering advice on an unknown project; that could conceivably be SWORD, given the governments of the world would no doubt be horrified to understand the scale of extraterrestrial threats after they had experienced Thanos' wrath.

Jane Foster's experience and knowledge would be invaluable in the creation of SWORD. She is one of precious few humans to have direct experience of alien affairs, and she had more time to learn the secrets of the universe from Thor than even Tony Stark from Nebula before his death in Avengers: Endgame. What's more, Jane Foster evidently learned to put all this into practice, successfully detecting signs of the Convergence and playing a key role in defeating the Dark Elves in Thor: The Dark World. Jane is literally the closest thing Earth has to an authority on extraterrestrial affairs.

If Jane is indeed involved with SWORD, it would neatly explain why she appears in Thor: Love & Thunder. The Asgardian refugees have settled in the town of Tønsberg, Norway, and no doubt SWORD would want an ambassador, a representative who could approach them and discuss matters with their new Queen, Valkyrie. Jane Foster would be the best woman for the job, given she's actually experienced Asgard, and has spent some time living with Thor Odinson. Thus the introduction of SWORD potentially sets up Jane's return perfectly.

More: Female Thor Explained: How Jane Foster Became Worthy

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