The highly-anticipated Thor: Love and Thunder is expected to show off and spotlight Natalie Portman's goofy humor. The upcoming fourth Thor film being added to the MCU will feature the revival of Portman's astrophysicist and Thor's famous love interest, Dr. Jane Foster.
Portman has technically not starred in any MCU movie since 2013’s Thor: The Dark World. However, she was featured quickly through the archive footage in Avengers: Endgame. Still, Thor: Love and Thunder will mark Portman's official return to the MCU after nearly a decade. In the new superhero flick, she utilizes Thor's enchanted weapon, Mjolnir, in order to take the mantle of the Mighty Thor. Portman grew up in Hollywood and onset when, at just twelve years old, she was cast in the hit film, Leon: The Professional. She played an orphaned child who sets out for revenge, with the extra help of a professional hitman.
From there, Portman easily became one of the most renowned dramatic actresses of her time, leading her to forge a long-successful career in Hollywood that is flourishing to this day. She is perhaps most well known for her outstanding performances in hit films like Where the Heart Is, Cold Mountain, Black Swan, and Jackie. Now, in a recent interview with Empire, Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi claims that the upcoming film might just be the opportunity Portman has been waiting for to show off her more humorous side. He shared, “Natalie's really funny in real life. She’s kind of goofy and has got a great sense of humor. I don’t think that was exploited enough in the first films.
Due to the more serious and dramatic roles that she has taken on in the past, Portman has had very few opportunities to show off her more comedic side. So much so that many fans may not even be aware that Portman does have a silly side to her. She did star in the fantasy comedy Your Highness as well as the rom-com No Strings Attached, yet both films sadly received overall negative feedback from audiences and critics alike.
Waititi is known for the way he gravitates towards quirky comedy in his films. The director made a name for himself with his 2019 vampire horror comedy, What We Do in the Shadows. It’s evident that if any director can bring out Portman’s goofy nature, Waititi is the man for the job. For fans, it will be both refreshing and exciting to see Portman tap into her comedic side.
Thor: Love and Thunder will make its theatrical debut on July 8th, 2022.
Source: Empire