SALT LAKE CITY — Natalie Portman will now take up the hammer and play the role of Thor in the new Marvel film “Thor: Love and Thunder,” which was announced Saturday at the San Diego Comic-Con event, according to Variety.
Portman previously played the role of Jane Foster, a scientist who studied the weather patterns that occurred on Earth when Thor landed here in the original “Thor” film. Though she appeared in “Thor: The Dark World,” she disappeared from the Marvel Cinematic Universe after that.
But now, it looks like Portman will return to the franchise in its fourth film.
“I always had hammer envy,” Portman said at the event, according to Vulture.
Portman will star with Chris Hemsworth, who plays the original Thor character.
You might be surprised or confused about why Portman will play the role of Thor. She doesn’t match the size and build of the traditional character, according to Uproxx. But if we turn back to the comic books, this actually makes perfect sense.
In the comics: The character Jane Foster actually does become Thor after the original Thor was away fighting Gorr the God Butcher and had lost his hammer after a battle with Nick Fury, according to Marvel Database.
- She was diagnosed with breast cancer but wouldn’t receive magical treatments to help her. But she heard the call from Mjolnir, the hammer, from the moon, where it had last been placed, according to Marvel Database. She gave in and asked Heimdall to send her to the moon. She picked it up, proving worthy of its power, and became Thor. The hammer changed her body and physique and gave her all the powers of the god.
- The original Thor eventually met up with Jane and demanded to receive his hammer back. But Thor eventually accepted that Jane was the new owner, gave her his blessing and then gave her his name of Thor — changing his name to Odinson. He never knew, at the time, that Jane was Thor because she wore a shield helmet, according to Marvel Database.
Highlights: Here are three quick highlights from her comic book history that could play a role in the upcoming film.
- As Thor, Jane became a member of the Avengers. She worked to create a new group without anyone knowing her true identity. However, Kang the Conqueror and Sam Wilson, who was the new Captain America, eventually discovered who she really was. They all agreed to keep it secret, according to Marvel Database.
- Jane soon learned that becoming Thor was making her cancer grow. Doctor Strange told her if she did it one more time, she would die. Soon after she learned that Asgardia was heading toward its sun. So she became Thor for one last time to stop it. She died because of that decision. Odin and Odinson revived her because of her sacrifice. She then gave the Thor power back to Odinson, deciding to focus on her sickness instead, according to Marvel Database.
- Most recently, Jane has had an active role in rounding up heroes to help Thor in the War of the Realms, an ongoing crossover comic book event where the different leaders of the universe’s realms are battling each other, according to Marvel Database.