Is Taika Waititi Teasing Natalie Portman’s Return In Thor: Ragnarok?

Later this year, the god of thunder will come roaring back into theaters after an extended hiatus. Following Thor’s part in Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Asgardian has kept clear of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The blond hero was a no-show for Captain America: Civil War, but Chris Hemsworth will give fans their much-needed dose of Mjolnir this November when Thor: Ragnarok debuts. The star will be joined by longtime co-star Tom Hiddleston, but all reports have indicated that Natalie Portman will have no part in the film.

So, naturally, the movie’s director is now teasing fans about Portman and a possible role she may have in the feature.

Over on Twitter, Taika Waititi got fans buzzing when he posted a peculiar photo on his profile. The director shared a spliced image of a younger Portman carrying a potted plant in Leon: The Professional with a current photo of the pregnant star. Waititi then captioned the image, “Heed the signs,” before tagging ‘Ragnarok’ with a hashtag.

Obviously, the image and the tweet’s tag caught the attention of fans. No one has been quite sure what to make of the post, but some are wondering if the picture hints that Portman may be in Thor: Ragnarok.

Well, the possibility could very well happen. Let’s check out the facts below:

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Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok – the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization – at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger – The Incredible Hulk!”

The cast features Chris Hemsworth in the title role for the fifth time; Tom Hiddleston as Thor’s adversarial, adopted brother, Loki; Idris Elba as the Asgardian sentry, Heimdall; Sir Anthony Hopkins again portraying Odin, Ruler of Asgard; Mark Ruffalo reprising his role of Bruce Banner/the Hulk; Cate Blanchett as the mysterious and powerful new villain Hela; Jeff Goldblum as the eccentric Grandmaster; Tessa Thompson bring the classic hero Valkyrie to life on the big screen; and Karl Urban will add his might to the fray as Skurge.

Thor: Ragnarok is directed by Taika Waititi, written by Craig Kyle, and will open in theaters November 3, 2017.

Why It Could Happen

When it comes to Marvel Studios, there are few things the company loves more than a surprise. The MCU has thrived off random easter eggs and cameos over the years – and Thor has been no slouch on that. In Thor: The Dark World, moviegoers jumped when they realized Chris Evans made a cameo in the film as Captain America thanks to Loki’s magic, so there is no telling if Marvel Studios may do the same with Portman’s character.

The Thor films have received flack over the years for the stilted romance between Jane Foster and Thor. Still, audiences did come to admire Jane for her intellect. The character’s absence in Avengers: Age of Ultron was a talking point for many fans, so they are hoping Thor: Ragnarok can shed light on the state of Thor’s relationship with Jane. However, the dream does seem like it’s unlikely to be fulfilled.

Why It Won’t Happen

When it comes down to it, Marvel Studios seems ready to bring in another female lead to Thor. Tessa Thompson will make her debut in Thor: Ragnarok as Valkyrie, a powerful warrior from Asgard who’s got a long history with Thor in the comics. The studio has called the heroine a new hero for the franchise, and fans can already tell the character will be taking up much of the space Jane Foster once took up.

Earlier this year, fans learned more about how Marvel Studios intended to tackle the issue of Jane Foster in the film, and it left fans disgruntled. Entertainment Weekly reported the pair had simply broken up, freeing Thor and Jane from their invested relationship with one another. Thor: Ragnarok might delve into why the split happened, but the packed film will surely struggle to dive deep into the reasoning. A picture of Jane Foster might be kept in Thor’s armor, but that nod will likely be about it.

Portman has said before she would be open to coming back into the MCU, but the star did say she was done with Thor from what she knew. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the actress said, “As far as I know I’m done. I mean I don’t know if maybe one day they’ll ask for an avengers 7 or whatever I have no idea, but um, but as far as I know I’m done. That was, all a great thing to be a part of.”

Reports have long circled that Portman was unhappy with Thor: The Dark World. There’s no word on whether the purported dissatisfaction made things tense for the starlet during the film’s press rounds, but it seems clear that Portman has since been distanced from the MCU as a whole.

And, for many Thor fans, that separation is one which truly stings.