Marvel Studios/PAThe Marvel team sure are busy with their announcements at this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego.
With the news that Avengers: Endgame finally overtook Avatar as the highest-grossing film of all time coming out, and the small matter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s next 10 films being announced for Phase Four, you’d be forgiven for missing a few other key points to come out during the convention.
However, one big chunk of news was that Taika Waititi would be returning to direct another Thor film. After the success of Thor: Ragnarok, it’s easy to see why Marvel opted for the New Zealand director once again.
PAWaititi took to the stage with cast members Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson in San Diego to reveal the film’s title – Thor: Love and Thunder.
However, towards the end of the panel, it was revealed not only would Natalie Portman be returning to the fray, but she will be taking on the role of Thor herself.
Portman will apparently still be playing Jane Foster, as she has done in previous Thor films, but this time around she’ll be able to harness the power of Thor’s hammer Mjolnir, and become a fearsome superhero herself.
PAPortman’s last substantial role in the MCU was six years ago, in 2013’s Thor: The Dark World. While she featured in a flashback sequence in Avengers: Endgame, the Oscar-winning actress didn’t film any new scenes for it, as old footage was used.
Coupled with the revelation in Ragnarok that Thor and Foster broke up, and that in Endgame Thor decided to leave Asgard, and New Asgard, for good, it’s currently unclear how Foster will enter the story again, or how the pair will reconcile.
It’s worth noting, however, in Marvel’s Original Sin comic series, Foster was deemed worthy to wield Mjolnir when Thor couldn’t, and dubbed herself ‘Thor, the Goddess of Thunder’, according to ComicBook.
“how does it feel to be back in the mcu, but this time holding the hammer?”
“it feels pretty good”
NATALIE PORTMAN AS FEMALE THOR LETS GO pic.twitter.com/uARaIUuhQQ
— diana saw ffh ✵ fan account (@brieIarsonstan) July 21, 2019
Naturally, fans were pretty happy to see Portman return to the MCU:
FEMALE THOR PLAYED BY NATALIE PORTMAN IS A BIG YES FROM ME pic.twitter.com/Og8zqQxwBW
— ophe 🌈 (@CAPTAINLARS0N) July 21, 2019
NATALIE PORTMAN HOLDING THOR’S HAMMER. BREATH IF YOU AGREE
— ᥴᥱᥣᥱ ♡ (@blanchettswhore) July 21, 2019
brie larson when she realizes that natalie portman is coming back to the mcu as female thor pic.twitter.com/nuUPGHigs7
— diana saw ffh ✵ fan account (@brieIarsonstan) July 21, 2019
“how does it feel to be back in the mcu, but this time holding the hammer?”
“it feels pretty good”
NATALIE PORTMAN AS FEMALE THOR LETS GO pic.twitter.com/uARaIUuhQQ
— diana saw ffh ✵ fan account (@brieIarsonstan) July 21, 2019
Natalie Portman is Thor!!!!
— Jeremy Conrad (@ManaByte) July 21, 2019
Just a couple years to wait for it!
Thor: Love and Thunder will be released on November 5, 2021.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.