Marvel Studios is in the final stages of preparation for director Taika Waititi's work on Thor: Love and Thunder, the second of three MCU movies releasing this year. With both Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman's heroes taking on the mantle of Thor, the MCU has a thrilling new story to tackle both on Earth and throughout the cosmos.
The studio recently released the second full trailer for Thor 4, finally giving fans a taste of what Portman will be up to now that she's become worthy of wielding Mjolnir after her nine-year absence. Even this doesn't necessarily mean that Jane will take over the Thor role for good, her impact will be felt quickly as she reunites with her ex-boyfriend in this new solo story.
Of course, both characters holding the same mantle doesn't mean that they'll fight exactly the same way, which goes beyond Hemsworth's hero wielding Stormbreaker and Portman's being worth of Mjolnir.
Recently, the sequel's director shared more details on how those differences will make each hero unique in their own right.
Differences in Portman & Hemsworth's Fighting Styles
In the latest issue of Total Film, Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi explained how Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman's Thors differ from one another in terms of fighting styles.
When asked where Jane Foster's Thor ranks on the cool scale, Waititi spoke for countless Marvel fans who see Mighty Thor as "incredibly cool:"
“She’s right up there. I mean, everyone who’s read those comics would agree that Mighty Thor is incredibly cool.”
The director also shared details on Portman's fighting style, noting how hers has "a feeling of dance when she fights." While it's not the same as the way Hemsworth's original Thor goes into battle, Waititi described them as cool in their own different ways:
“The fighting style is completely different to Thor’s style You’ve got to play to people’s strengths, and Natalie has obviously dances and done ballet and stuff. It’s got kind of a feeling of dance when she fights. It’s very precise and smooth. She’s cool in a different way to how Chris is. He uses raw strength…”
Portman Brings Her Own Style as Thor
Seeing as Jane Foster and Thor are vastly different people through their MCU journey, it only makes sense that Jane's fighting style would be something new from what fans have seen with Chris Hemsworth for more than a decade.
While Hemsworth's Thor is largely based on size and strength in his fights, Natalie Portman's will bring something new with the dancing style of fighting that Waititi described in his quotes. Fans already saw some of this new action in the second trailer, even with Jane more bulked up now for her new role; she also showed some pretty handy skills with Mjolnir as the broken shards separated and took down her enemies.
More of these differences will be highlighted when Thor 4 releases in full, although the excitement is already building to see what Portman's new version of Jane Foster will do as she works through her new god-like powers. Throw that on top of a complicated relationship with Mjolnir's former wielder and a personal battle with cancer, and it will make for an intriguing story both from an action perspective and an emotional standpoint.
Thor: Love and Thunder will debut in theaters on July 8.
