Thor 4: Why Natalie Portman Is Returning, According to Taika Waititi

Taika Waititi has declared a simple reason why Natalie Portman decided to appear in Thor: Love and Thunder. It had been widely assumed for some time that Portman’s role in the MCU was over and done with, until her surprise reveal at San Diego Comic-Con announced her return to the franchise and her new role as Mighty Thor.

Jane Foster is an integral part of the Thor comics, first appearing in its second issue (then still a fantasy/sci-fi anthology titled Journey into Mystery) and remained an intelligent and capable character outwith her relationship with the God of Thunder. In painful contrast, her character in the MCU served a specific purpose to act as an audience surrogate to whom the magic and cosmic aspects Thor introduced could be explained, but possessed little personality of her own and what little presence she had was defined by being the hero’s love interest.

When Waititi was interviewed by Variety at D23 and asked about Portman’s return, he gave a typically Kiwi low-key response that simply described his offer to Portman to do “something really different” with the character. He reasoned that nobody wants to keep doing the same thing over and over again, and that by offering Portman such a radical departure from the Jane she has previously played it would renew her interest in returning. He also pointed out that it’s not always as fun for people who aren’t playing characters with superpowers or abilities, without being given the opportunity to “come back and change things up,” as the video below explains.

Jane had a more significant role to play in Thor: The Dark World, temporarily housing the Aether (aka the Reality Stone) in her own body, which kicks off the film’s conflict by drawing the vengeful dark elf Malekith to Asgard. The poor reception of the film (many critics and fans rank it among the lowest of the MCU’s offerings, if not the outright weakest) led to her disinterest in reprising the role, affirming her departure a couple of years later.

People are allowed to change their minds. Since Jane Foster was an unpopular character who had very little to do in the films in which she purportedly co-starred, Portman’s decision to leave the role was a perfectly reasonable one, made at a time when it looked like there wasn’t any scope for the character’s advancement or development. The simplicity with which she was convinced to return indicates how basic the problem with Jane really was, and was something that clearly could have been addressed years ago. An actor himself as well as a writer and director, Waititi possesses an understanding of an actor’s need to challenge themselves with something beyond a bland supporting role, and in providing Portman that opportunity with Thor: Love and Thunder, he has helped the MCU address one of its biggest oversights.

Next: Thor: Love And Thunder – 10 Ways Taika Waititi Can Fix Jane Foster

Source: Variety