Ever since its announcement in 2019, fans have been eagerly awaiting Chris Hemsworth’s next hoorah as the fan-favorite Asgardian in Thor: Love and Thunder. More importantly, however, was the excitement behind Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster. The character was last seen in Thor: The Dark World nine years ago and, since then, has seemingly vanished from the MCU. But now, not only is she back, but the good doctor has her ex-boyfriend’s hammer in tow as well.
It’s previously been confirmed how her return will coincide with the adaptation of her character’s cancer storyline from the comics. In it, she becomes worthy of holding Mjolnir, but every time Jane takes on the powers of Thor, she undoes her chemotherapy; each time she powers up, she gets that much closer to losing her life.
As exciting as Jane Foster’s Thor persona is to see, many have been wondering ever since the project's announcement if Portman's return would go further than Love and Thunder. Is Natalie Portman taking over for Thor? Will both operate together going forward? Will Jane meet a grisly fate?
Well, now that the movie is out across the world, the answer is finally here.
Where in the World Is Jane Foster Now?
Warning - the rest of this article contains spoilers for Thor: Love and Thunder.
Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder is now in theaters worldwide, and with it came the debut of Natalie Portman’s Mighty Thor. But does she have a future in the MCU? Well, the answer is a complicated one.
Before the final act, the story sets the stakes. If Jane goes and helps Thor fight Gorr the God Butcher to keep him from getting to Eternity, her cancer will win.
While they initially decide to take her second chance, fate has other plans. Right when he needed her the most, Jane Foster took hold of Mjolnir and came straight to Thor’s aid, helping him to save the children and confront Gorr. In doing so, Jane Foster ends up dying in Thor’s arms. Though, instead of going out like a mortal, her body starts turning to golden dust.
It’s not until the second post-credits scene that audiences learn exactly what that means: she’s made it into Valhalla. In fact, she’s even greeted by none other than Heimdall himself.
So, given that little twist, what does this mean for her future in the MCU?
Where Does the Mighty Thor Go From Here?
The first thing note to make is that there’s a very good chance audiences won’t see Jane Foster become the Mighty Thor again. Going by the source material, she could have a different path laid out in front of her.
In the comics, Jane’s God of Thunder does eventually succumb to her cancer, like in Love and Thunder. The difference, however, is that her human form gets one more chance at life. Even more, however, is that eventually, the Valkyries choose her to become one of them.
So Jane, going by the name of Valkyrie, went on to serve under that mantle, where she continues her journey in recent Marvel Comics. Alongside her new identity, she also wields Undrjarn, the All-Weapon, which is basically the anthesis to Gorr the God Butcher’s Necrosword.
With a fun sisterhood between Tessa Thompson and Natalie Portman having been teased in Love and Thunder, this could be a fantastic direction for the character going forward. Also, given her close proximity to the Necrosword in that final act, the MCU could also play on those details to connect to Undrjarn.
Though Jane has ended up in Valhalla, the fact that Portman's character was shown off at all after her death does seem to indicate that the MCU has plans in store. Marvel Studios even had a cheeky tease at the very end of the film saying that "Thor will return." But which one?
Though Jane goes specifically by the Mighty Thor in the film, it's possible the end card does indeed refer to her. Perhaps Jane will stage a breakout from Valhalla with Heimdall to return to the mortal realm in a future flick.
Now, for those who do want to see Natalie Portman suited up as the God of Thunder in the future, if it does happen again, odds are it’ll be for the inevitable Secret Wars project. The very same one which the Russo Brothers may or may not be working on.
Hopefully, the future of Jane Foster in the MCU is a bright one.
Thor: Love and Thunder is now in theaters worldwide.
