Ashley Bradley, showrunner for Marvel’s Disney+ animated series What If…? reveals that she initially pitched having Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) as Thor before Thor: Love and Thunder was announced.
Bradley spoke to Discussing Film about pitching Jane Foster as the Mighty Thor as part of one of the numerous animated What If…? episodes. To her surprise, Marvel already knew that Taika Waititi had plans for Natalie Portman to return in Love and Thunder:
“Our first weeks there I very strongly pitched doing The Mighty Thor- Jane Foster Thor. Jane wielding the hammer, I believe first happened in a What If comic. I was very poignantly told that was never going to happen. I got a little angry and thought, ‘Why, because they don’t want a woman holding the hammer?’ I was very politely told, ‘No we’re doing it.’ I was like what? ‘We’re doing it in the movies. You can’t do it.’ I was like, seriously? They responded with, ‘Please don’t tell anyone. We’re with you on it, it’s an amazing idea. Taika Waititi wants to write it.’ At that point, you just go ‘Then Taika Waiti can write it!”
Numerous actors and actresses are set to lend their voices in Marvel’s What If…?. If Jane Foster’s Thor were to be part of these plans, Natalie Portman would have likely lent her voice as well. Thankfully, we will be seeing her return in live-action form after her absence in Thor: Ragnarok with her return in Love and Thunder.
Are you excited to see that Natalie Portman returning to the big screen in Love and Thunder rather than in animated form for a What If…? episode? Sound off in the comments below, and be sure to continue following Heroic Hollywood for What If…?, Natalie Portman and Thor: Love and Thunder.
Natalie Portman was reportedly disappointed with how Marvel Studios dismissed original Thor: The Dark World director Patty Jenkins’ vision for that film before her exit from the project over creative differences. This is believed to have played a part in Natalie Portman leaving the franchise altogether, but her brief role through archival footage in Avengers: Endgame kept her stamp within the Marvel Cinematic Universe as relevant to the ongoing plot, and now that she can step in the role of the new Thor she has an opportunity to have a stronger heroic presence compared to her previous portrayal as Chris Hemsworth’s love interest.
Directed by Taika Waititi, Thor: Love and Thunder stars Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, and Natalie Portman. The film will be based on Jason Aaron’s Mighty Thor comic book run, with Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster set to become the new Thor.
Thor: Love and Thunder is scheduled to be released in theaters on November 5, 2021.
Source: Discussing Film
