The big question being asked about Natalie Portman’s Jane in Thor Love and Thunder

Natalie Portman’s character in Thor and Thor: The Dark World – astrophysicist Jane Foster –  was given little to do beyond explain stuff in both movies. Then she was pretty much left out of Thor: Ragnarok. But in Thor: Love and Thunder, Jane gets a piece of the action, and even does some hammer-wielding. Though there’s one question that everyone is asking about the character. 

In the forthcoming Thor 4 – aka Thor: Love and Thunder – Natalie Portman’s character brandishes the hammer Mjolnir and becomes the Mighty Thor.

But if the film’s storyline follows the comic book plot where that also happens, then Jane is sick with breast cancer. And becoming a superhero purges Jane’s body of the cancer treatment, thereby making her sick.

Both Portman and writer-director Taika Waitit have been asked if that aspect of the story will carry over, and in a recent interview, their answers hint that might be coming.

Just beware of potential Thor: Love and Thunder spoilers ahead… 

What did Natalie Portman say about Jane having cancer in Thor: Love and Thunder?

Variety have done a deep-dive with Natalie Portman about her career, as well as her work on the Thor movies, and they asked about the cancer storyline.

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“How can I answer this in a way that will be not completely skirting it, but also not being…” she responds to the outlet, before trailing off.

Variety then reports that Portman “gives a painstakingly worded response about the ‘duality’ of human Jane versus the Mighty Thor, and how living as a superhero ‘might give you a different perspective on your human life.'”

It’s vague, but if the storyline isn’t in Thor: Love and Thunder, Portman might not be so vague.

What did Taika Waititi say about Jane Foster in Thor 4?

When asked the same question by Variety, writer-director Taika Waititi’s answer was a little more revealing.

“Part of why [Natalie] wanted to play that character is that she has a dilemma in the book,” he states. Though realizing he’s perhaps said too much, Waititi follows that up with: “Am I allowed to talk about this?”

Having then thought through his answer, Waititi adds that Jane “has big choices to make within the comic” and that those involved “were all very interested” in keeping those choices in the movie.

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So while no one is going on the record with specifics, it sounds like Jane Foster might face a choice between live and death in Thor: Love and Thunder. Either way, we’ll find out when the film hits UK screens on July 7, and US cinemas a day later.