Natalie Portman explains Jane Foster’s evolution in Thor: Love and Thunder after the time elapsed in Thor: Ragnarok. Portman stars in Love & Thunder alongside Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Russell Crowe, and Chris Pratt. Taika Waititi, who also directed Ragnarok, returns to direct and also acts in the film as the voice behind Korg.
Portman debuted as Jane Foster in 2011's first Thor movie. She then appeared in its sequel Thor: The Dark World but did not appear in Thor: Ragnarok - the only appearance she has made as Jane Foster in the time between The Dark World and now is a brief appearance in Avengers: Endgame, for which she filmed no new material. According to director Waititi, he convinced Portman to return for Love & Thunder by sitting down with her personally to make his appeal, saying that Jane Foster would be more fun and adventurous a character to play this time around.
Portman discusses what has changed since her character’s Ragnarok hiatus and how Jane has evolved in Love & Thunder. In an interview with Vogue, Portman points out that Jane is now the superhero Mighty Thor in Love & Thunder. She elaborates on how that affects this specific character. Unlike some “feminist character[s]” that are “just a badass all the time who just kicks butt,” Portman notes that Jane “also has moments of vulnerability.” All of this makes Jane Foster / Mighty Thor a complex and “multi-faceted character.” Check out the full statement below:
“Jane becomes the Mighty Thor in this, so we get to see her as a superhero—and a new superhero. I love that she’s not always tough and badass, she also has moments of vulnerability, moments of being ridiculous, moments of being an amateur. It was fun to get to play all of those. I think so often, a feminist character, people feel the need to make her just a badass all the time who just kicks butt, you know? I think that’s such a hard-to-relate to type of character for myself. It was really nice to get to play someone who had a multi-faceted character.”
Jane’s evolution to Mighty Thor in Thor: Love & Thunder has been widely known for a while now. Previously, however, the press about Portman’s character focuses on the fighting elements of Mighty Thor. This includes talks of Mighty Thor’s fighting style, Portman’s training routine to get bulked up for the role, and how CGI was able to make Mighty Thor look six feet tall. This interview, however, focuses on a less inherently combative element of Mighty Thor: her emotions and her heart. While she is still of course a fighting and "feminist character,” Portman’s discussion of the hero’s vulnerability and “moments of being an amateur” make her seem all the more well-rounded.
Mighty Thor’s complex nature is also a great addition to what viewers already expect from Valkyrie in the film. From being one of Marvel’s few queer characters to being called “King of Asgard,” Valkyrie is far from the typical female superhero as well. Having two strong and multidimensional women alongside Hemsworth’s Thor could be an exciting path for the MCU, which, even in recent years, has largely focused on the male superheroes in its films. Viewers will not have to wait much longer to finally see these dimensional characters come to life on screen in Thor: Love and Thunder.
Source: Vogue
