For over a decade, Chris Hemsworth's version of Thor has been the definitive one. Thanks to his charming take on the God of Thunder, not to mention his comedic take on him, has made this hero a favorite among countless Marvel fans. But with Love and Thunder set to come out in July, Natalie Portman has a pretty good chance to dethrone the actor and become the better Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Even before the Thor sequel comes out, there are plenty of clues from the first trailer and the comics why Portman's Jane Foster is a worthier character to carry Mjolnir. We take a deep dive down below at three reasons why the new Thor is much better than the original one.
Natalie Portman's Thor got Mjolnir to work again
It's a fact in the comics and the MCU proper that to lift Mjolnir, one has to be worthy of it. As seen in several instances, only a few were actually deemed deserving to lift up the legendary hammer, including Odin, Vision, and Steve Rogers himself.
The thing is, Mjolnir isn't really ready to be lifted. During the events of Thor: Ragnarok, Hela crushed the hammer into pieces, leaving Hemsworth's Thor weaponless for much of the film. And even through his subsequent appearances in Infinity War and Endgame, the broken bits of Mjolnir and where it was left was never addressed.
That is until the first trailer of Thor Love and Thunder came out. During the final scene, a reforged Mjolnir was seen flying into the hands of Portman's Jane Foster, who is now sporting a winged helmet and costume for the sequel.
Official #ThorLoveAndThunder Mjolnir toy shows a new look at Jane Foster as Mighty Thor! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/vNsPH59wox
— MCU Report (@MCUReport) April 17, 2022
Even with all the rumors flying around, this scene confirms one thing – Jane Foster is worthy. And with the use of that detail, it only leads to the conclusion that this version of Thor is now deemed worthier than the one Hemsworth is playing. Since Foster got Mjolnir to work again, there's no reason to think anymore that she is an inferior character next to the God of Thunder himself.
A mere mortal bested Chris Hemsworth's Thor
Chris Hemsworth's Thor is the perfect specimen, the ideal character who is bestowed with god-like qualities throughout countless appearances in the MCU because, well, he is one himself. But with all of his advantages, there are some notable flaws to his God of Thunder.
For one, the male Thor's overconfidence in himself and his abilities can sometimes be a crutch when fulfilling a goal or two. Even his severe battle against depression during Endgame only shows that a failure can definitely lead him to a darker path than what he's used to.
These weaknesses only highlight the fact that Natalie Portman's Jane Foster bested his former lover by lifting Mjolnir and becoming the new Thor. Even though details of the sequel are still few, it's safe to assume that Foster has become an individual better than the male Thor in this film. One who's even more worthy of possessing the God of Thunder's hammer.
When the film comes out in July, Marvel fans will get to see how Foster bested Thor in this aspect. But at this point in time, it's already a given that she's way ahead.
Jane Foster became Thor while fighting Cancer
In the source material, Thor became incapable of lifting Mjolnir after a battle with Nick Fury made him realize that Gorr was right about him and all the other gods all along. This feeling of doubt and unworthiness made him lose possession of Mjolnir. As this was happening, Jane Foster was diagnosed with cancer.
After quite some time, Foster was transported to Mjolnir's location on the Moon and lifted the legendary weapon up. Much to her surprise, she was found worthy and became the new Thor, one who's not suffering the ill effects of her disease.
Although the full details of Portman's Jane Foster for Love and Thunder haven't come out yet, there's one source that confirms her character's arc will resemble that of the source material.
Seems that Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor will be comic accurate in the MCU. A (now edited) description from a merchandise helmet originally revealed that Jane is indeed suffering from cancer when the broken pieces of Mjolnir miraculously transform her into Thor.
(via EagleMoss) pic.twitter.com/pJZlXVonnI
— MCU Status (@MCUStatus) April 21, 2022
According to the tweet above, a replica of Foster's Thor Helmet contained details that confirm she's diagnosed with cancer. The description reads:
“Suffering from cancer, astrophysicist and Thor's ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster, visited New Asgard and her life was changed forever. Mysteriously, the broken pieces of Mjolnir, the hammer of the thunder god, transformed her into the Mighty Thor and gifted her the superpowers of Thor, to battle threats internal and external. Wielding Mjolnir herself, she had become a godly protector and a new hero was born!”
This confirmation bolsters the fact that Foster's Thor goes beyond Hemsworth's as the former is battling a serious disease. With that alone, one could surmise that she's in the lead. Add the previous reasons above and we there'll be a pretty good case to make for Portman's Goddess of Thunder.
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