The MCU’s god of thunder is back and mightier than ever with the upcoming Thor: Love And Thunder, set to be released July 8. The highly anticipated film will see Chris Hemsworth return as the iconic hammer-wielding Norse god and embark on a journey of self-discovery. As he goes about this, Thor encounters some pretty big obstacles and thus must once again take on the superhero mantle. Joining Hemsworth in the feature are faces both old and new to the MCU. Newcomers include Hollywood icon Christian Bale as the film’s antagonist and familiar faces include the likes of the intergalactic Guardians of the Galaxy and the comedic Grandmaster.
Another familiar face to the Thor franchise who will be returning for Thor: Love And Thunder is Academy Award-winner Natalie Portman. First introduced into the MCU back in 2011 in Thor, Portman will be reprising her role of Dr. Jane Foster. In addition to this, Portman herself will be doing some hammer-wielding through her new status of Mighty Thor. Whilst some fans critiqued the new direction that her character would be following, it is undeniable that the actress has undergone an incredibly impressive transformation in order to suit up for the role of Mighty Thor. So let’s take a look at the new and anticipated side of Portman that fans will see in Thor: Love And Thunder.
8 Her Role As Jane Foster Will Be Much Different This Time Around
As previously mentioned, Portman’s first-ever MCU appearance came in the first of the Thor movie series, Thor. In the film and its sequel, Thor: The Dark World, Portman portrayed the character of Dr. Jane Foster, a brilliant astrophysicist who discovers the presence of the Asgardian god on Earth and promptly embarks on a complicated romantic and intergalactic relationship with him. However, this time around Portman will be taking on a far mightier mantle in Thor: Love And Thunder. Whilst the actress will still portray the character of Jane Foster, fans will see the astrophysicist wield the iconic hammer as “The Mighty Thor.”
7 This Is How Natalie Portman Fits The New Jane Foster Better Than The Past One
Whilst Portman’s character remains that of Jane Foster, this new version of the astrophysicist will differ greatly from the one fans became accustomed to in Thor And Thor: The Dark World. Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love And Thunder director Taika Waititi spoke up on this during an interview with Empire in which he highlighted how Portman’s naturally comedic essence made for a far more entertaining version of Jane Foster in the new installment.
6 Taiki Waititi Thinks The Earlier Films Didn't Take Advantage Of Natalie Portman's Funny Side
The director stated, “You don’t want Natalie coming back and playing that same character who’s walking around with science equipment. You know, while Thor’s flying around, she’s left on Earth, tapping her foot going, ‘When’s he going to be back?’ That’s boring. You want her to be part of the adventure.” Before later adding, “Natalie’s really funny in real life. She’s kind of goofy and has got a great sense of humor, and I don’t think that was exploited enough in the first films.”
5 These Were Natalie Portman's Thoughts On Her Transformation Prior To Shooting
As many fans are aware, the character of Thor is usually associated with strength and power, both in a physical sense and a mystic sense. Therefore, it’s easy to see how Portman may have felt slightly intimidated by the prospect of transforming herself to fit the character’s physicality. During a conversation with Serena Williams for ET Canada, Portman outlined her anxieties about the preparation process for the film.
The actress stated, “I have more time to get jacked which I have not been doing. I’ve got the carb-loading down but not the exercise part.”
4 Natalie Portman Didn’t Seem To Have Much Faith In Herself To Jack Up Prior To Filming
As the interview progressed both Williams and Portman joked about what it would take for Portman to undergo the physical transformation. Williams teased that she would be able to give Portman some tips to improve her physicality and even joked about sending her some pizza recipes.
However, Portman then somewhat highlighted her doubts about whether the transformation would even be possible as she stated, “I’ll be interested to see if I can actually gain muscle.”
3 Yet The Actress Successfully Underwent An Incredible Physical Transformation
Despite any doubts that the actress may have had about being able to “jack up” for the role, Portman has achieved an immense physical transformation as fans were able to see in the very first sneak peek of Thor: Love And Thunder. Back in April 2022 the teaser trailer for Thor: Love And Thunder was released. Whilst the majority of the clip focused on Chris Hemsworth’s titular protagonist, a first look into Portman’s Mighty Thor was revealed towards the very end. The clip showed a very ripped Portman as Jane Foster wielding Mjolnir and staring intensely into the camera. Upon the release of the teaser, fans were quick to praise the actress and express their shock at her incredible physical transformation.
2 This Was Natalie Portman’s Extensive Workout Routine
It’s no secret that a transformation that drastic had to have involved a strict workout regime and a huge change of lifestyle. During an interview with Vanity Fair, Portman highlighted her extensive workout routine, in detail, that she had adapted with her personal trainer Naomi Pendergast.
Portman stated, “We did a lot of weight training and a lot of protein shakes— heavyweight training that I haven’t ever done before. Of course, I’ve never really aimed to get bulky. It was very physical, so it was a lot of both agility work and also strength work.”
1 This Is How Natalie Portman's Training Impacts Her Performance
Later on in the Vanity Fair interview, it was pointed out that her latest role in Thor: Love And Thunder had not been the only time that Portman had to exert herself physically for a role. After having portrayed ballerina extraordinaire Nina Sayers in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, Portman is no stranger to physically challenging workout regimes and routines. The actress was asked how these physical changes to her routines impacted her as an actress and if they changed the way she was able to deliver a performance.
In response to this, Portman stated, “It definitely helps you get into character, and it’s definitely changed the way I move. You walk differently; you feel different. I mean, it’s so wild to feel strong for the first time in my life.”