Marvel has made it official; the next movie in the Thor franchise is called Thor: Love and Thunder. And we couldn’t be more excited about it! The movie is going to be giving Mjolnir to somebody else, though. Jane Foster is picking up the hammer and the mantle to much excitement among certain fans.
For a time, Jane Foster was Thor in the comics as well. There are plenty of elements from this plot arc that the MCU could import over. However, there are also a lot of elements they’re going to have to change for the sake of the movies.
Keep: Thor As An Avenger
It’s probably no surprise, but when Jane Foster was Thor, she joined the Avengers for a time. She was part of the All-New All-Different Avengers team, and she was just one of many changes to the classic lineup.
A fact that is also potentially true for the MCU as well. After all, the Avengers team has been permanently altered thanks to the conclusion of Endgame. We don’t need to state just how dramatic some of those changes are. But it is making the team more similar to the one Jane was a part of in the comics.
Have To Change: How She Picked Up The Mantle
Jane Foster picked up the mantle of Thor after Thor became Unworthy. At the end of a plot called Original Sin, Mjolnir left Thor’s grasp and would not return when called. Later, Jane picked up Mjolnir in an act of desperation. Thus she became the new Thor.
Now, Thor becoming Unworthy hasn’t happened in the MCU. And at this point, it seems unlikely that they’ll do that to his character. For one thing, they’ve put his character through enough already. And for another, we’ve already seen Thor willing to move on past Mjolnir. That is reason enough to have somebody new step up to the plate.
Keep: Thor’s Blessing
In the comics, Thor gave Jane his blessing to take on the mantle of Thor. And that was before he even knew who was under the mask! Assuming that, this time around, Thor knows full well who is wielding Mjolnir, it seems likely that he’ll once again give his blessing.
This may seem like a trivial point, but remember, Thor can make a person’s life hell, should he so choose. But instead, he opted to be Jane’s ally. And having allies, especially as a new hero, can make all the difference in a fight.
Have To Change: Odin’s Wrath
One of the biggest things they’ll have to change about Jane’s Thor is the Asgardian reaction to her presence. In the comics, Odin was furious that an outsider was wielding Mjolnir, even going so far as to accuse her of stealing it. He sent his brother hunting after her. Meanwhile, Freyja actively supported the female Thor and vocally opposed what Odin was doing. The whole ordeal caused a great amount of strife amongst the Asgardians.
Obviously, in the MCU, Odin is no longer alive. Neither is Freyja. This will likely change the dynamics in Jane’s transition to Thor. But that may be a good thing for her. Likely the movie will find new and different points of tension for her rise.
Keep: Jane’s Illness
The whole time Jane Foster was wielding Mjolnir, she was dying of cancer. And the hammer only made it worse. It eradicated the chemotherapy from her blood but left the cancer where it was. She knew that her time as Thor was limited, and yet she kept on going.
We don’t know much about what Jane Foster has been up to in the MCU. We know that she’s been busy and that she dumped Thor. But that’s about it. So there’s a chance that she’s been concealing her illness, or even that it’s a recent development for her.
Have To Change: Jane’s Allies
In the comics, Jane had a few allies she relied on more than anyone else. Some of them she even willingly told the truth about her identity. One of these characters doesn’t actually exist in the MCU right now. Roz Solomon is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and another one of Thor’s exes (though at the time of the comics she was his current fling). However, Valkyrie would make a perfect substitution for Roz, and we already know that she’ll be in the comics.
Jane’s other allies included Freyja and Volstagg, both of whom are dead in the MCU. Since it seems like Jane is going to have the support of Thor and his allies in the MCU, this will likely not be as big of a deal. Hopefully.
Keep: Roxxon Corp/Dario Agger
One of Jane’s biggest antagonists in her series is a man named Dario Agger. He runs a corporation called Roxxon. He and his company are the worst-case scenarios for a corporation and its CEO: greedy, power-hungry, and completely uncaring about anyone and anything that’s in their way. Roxxon has left a trail of destruction in their wake, including everything from destroying habitats to terrorizing people with their lawyers.
To make matters worse, Dario Agger isn’t simply a scummy human. He’s a Minotaur, and a strong one at that. Combine that with his willingness to work with other villains and you’ve got a powder keg waiting to blow.
Have To Change: Malekith
Last we saw of Malekith in the MCU, he seemed pretty dead. At least, that’s the impression Thor: The Dark World gave us. He didn’t technically die graphically on screen, so there’s a chance he’s alive. You never know.
But the odds are pretty good that he’s dead. And that means that Jane’s other major antagonist is going to have to be scrapped for the movies. This is a bit of a shame since Malekith led to a massive event in the Marvel comics: the War of the Realms. They’ll just have to find a new way to bring that about, should they so desire.
Keep: Her Cleverness
Jane Foster had a completely new and different way of being Thor. And that makes sense since she’s an entirely different person. Everything from the way she acted to how she handled Mjolnir was different. And in many ways, it was a breath of fresh air.
In the comics, it was noted that she managed to get Mjolnir to do things that Thor never dreamed of. This might have something to do with her understanding of physics. Then there’s the fact that Jane never did fall for Loki’s tricks. Not like Thor did. And since the odds seem good that Loki isn’t dead… that’ll probably end up being relevant.
Have To Change: How Her Plot Ended
Another thing that the MCU will have to change for Jane’s Thor is how her plot wrapped up. In the comics, Jane picked up the hammer one last time, even knowing that doing so would kill her. She did it to save what was left of Asgard. Her final battle came at a great cost: her life and Mjolnir. Jane died in the process and destroyed Mjolnir as well.
Odin himself brought Jane back. He was able to get to her since she died valiantly in battle, thus placing her in Valhalla. That can’t happen in the MCU since Odin is dead. Theoretically, Thor could bring her back. But perhaps her life and Mjolnir will never be lost in the first place.