Forget V for Vendetta — it’s M for Mjølnir for returning Marvel Cinematic Universe player Natalie Portman. After vacating the MCU in the wake of 2013’s widely-disliked Thor: The Dark World, the Black Swan Oscar winner is back for more cosmic shenanigans in Thor: Love and Thunder, Taika Waititi’s sequel to 2017’s course-correcting hit, Thor: Ragnarok. And the first teaser trailer for the film confirms that Portman’s alter ego, Jane Foster, is getting a major equipment upgrade. (Watch the trailer above.)
That’s right, as originally teased at Marvel’s star-studded Phase 4 panel at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, Jane is now wielding the Mighty Thor’s mighty hammer, which has apparently been resurrected from its Hela-induced death. Decked out in the finest Asgardian warrior wear, she looks every inch the superhero that her now-aimless ex (Chris Hemsworth) used to be. She showed up just in time, too, as Thor has to confront Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), a major league threat he seems very unprepared to fight.
While Jane has been mastering Mjølnir, Thor has been goofing off with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and it’s clear that the group is ready to offload the boisterous buffoon on some other poor saps. Besides Jane, those saps include Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) — who has become head of the surviving Asgard population since Thor’s post-Endgame abdication — and the affable rock monster Korg (voiced by Waititi). This new Warriors Three is going to have to whip Thor back into fighting shape if they’re ever going to have a chance of defeating Gorr.
Speaking of fighting shape, Marvel fans on Twitter immediately noticed that Portman did some serious bulking up prior to lifting Mjølnir, and got Hemsworth-level muscles in the process. The actress previewed her workout regimen during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live in 2020. “[Chris Hemsworth] would eat like a baby animal every half-hour or something to keep protein going,” said Portman, who famously sticks to a vegan diet. “I’m going to have to figure out the non-animal equivalent of pounding protein.”
“I’m in so much pain,” she continued, laughing. “I’m an almost 40-year-old mother of two. It is a different scenario trying to get jacked! … [My biceps] aren’t happening. I’m like, ‘When do they come in?'” Based on her appearance in the trailer, Portman absolutely crushed those workouts … just like she’ll crush being the new Thor.
I THOUGHT I was prepared for Natalie Portman with biceps, but I WAS NOT.
— Jacob the Emphatically Adequate (@Ser_0nionKnight) April 18, 2022
I’ve only seen a few seconds of Natalie Portman being Jane Foster Thor in the #ThorLoveAndThunder trailer. But I already want to see an entire movie trilogy with her wielding the title, as well as the hammer. ????
— Jack Fisher (@MarvelMaster616) April 18, 2022
Thor: Love and Thunder premieres July 8 in theaters
