Two Thors stand side-by-side in a new image from Thor: Love and Thunder. The photo, released by Marvel via Empire, shows Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth), in his new blue and gold costume, standing side-by-side with The Mighty Thor, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), wielding Mjolnir for the first time in the film. You can see the photo below. Speaking to Empire, Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi suggested that the Odinson will take some time to adjust to seeing his old love wielding his old weapon, and Jane has changed as well in the years since the two of them last met.
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“It’s been about eight years,” Waititi tells Empire. “She’s had a whole other life, and then the love of your life comes back on the scene, and is now dressed like you. It’s a real mindfuck for Thor.”
Waititi is returning to Thor after directing Thor: Ragnarok. He says he wasn’t planning on adapting the Jane Foster Thor story by Jason Aaron and his collaborators but found himself eager to bring Jane back into the mix once he began working on Love and Thunder. Now there are shots in the film (or at least the trailer) that lift panels straight from the comics.
“I didn’t know we were going to use the storyline of the Mighty Thor character until we started working out the actual story,” Waititi says. “I was writing and it was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be kind of cool to bring Jane back into the storyline?’ 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.”
According to Waititi, Portman fits right in with the new, comedy-laced tone that he established for Thor in Ragnarok. “Natalie’s really funny in real life,” says Waititi. “She’s kind of goofy and has got a great sense of humour, and I don’t think that was exploited enough in the first films.”
Waititi directs and co-wrote Thor: Love and Thunder‘s screenplay with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. The film and stars Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Chris Pratt, Jaimie Alexander, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, Jeff Goldblum, and Vin Diesel. Thor: Love and Thunder opens in theaters on July 8th.
