Credit: Marvel StudiosNatalie Portman is ready and willing to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there’s just one problem: no one at Marvel Studios is picking up the phone.
Although Natalie Portman may not be one of the first names that comes to mind when the MCU is mentioned, she has been part of the world’s highest-grossing franchise since nearly the beginning. Portman first appeared as Doctor Jane Foster, a world-renowned astrophysicist, S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant, and eventual thunder god, in Thor (2011) alongside Chris Hemsworth as the eponymous Norse deity.
Since then, Natalie Portman has reprised the role in Thor: The Dark World (2013), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), as well as voicing an alternate universe Variant of Jane Foster in the Disney+ series What If…? She may not be one of the Avengers, but Portman has had a significant presence in the MCU for a long time.
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That’s why it’s somewhat surprising that Natalie Portman says she has not heard from Marvel Studios about future appearances. In a recent interview with Total Film, the Academy Award-winning actress revealed that she was open to reprising Jane Foster but had not heard from Kevin Feige about it.
In response to a question about whether she would return to the MCU, Natalie Portman said, “Oh, I have no idea. I mean, no one’s asked me to. So I don’t know. But sure, [Love and Thunder] was super-fun.”
Unlike her co-star and on-screen love interest Chris Hemsworth, it seems that Portman actually had a good time starring in the Taika Waititi film. Hemsworth has gone on record that he was disappointed in both the film and his performance, saying, “I got caught up in the improv and the wackiness, and I became a parody of myself. I didn’t stick the landing.”
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In contrast, Natalie Portman seems much more chill about things. She continued, “Yeah, it was so fun. I had such a great time making it. I loved working with Taika [Waititi], and Chris [Hemsworth] is just the greatest, and so is Tessa [Thompson]. I was just laughing all day, every day. There’s only my highest love for that experience – and not to mention Australia, which is just the most glorious country.”
On the other hand, Natalie Portman went into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a lot of experience with big-budget cosmic franchises under her belt, so she might just be a little more blase about things. Either way, if fans want to see Jane Foster back from Valhalla, it sounds like it’s always a possibility.
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