Having largely been wasted during her first stint as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the first two Thor movies taking one of the best actresses in the business and casting her as a one-dimensional love interest in a thankless role, you can fully understand why Natalie Portman had no interest in ever returning to the franchise.
That all changed when Taika Waititi took the reins of the Odinson’s solo series, though, with Portman admitting that it didn’t take long for her to be convinced about the merits of Love and Thunder. Not only is Jane Foster back, but she’s also set to mirror her comic book counterpart and inherit Mjolnir to become Thor in a storyline development which seemed unthinkable given her general apathy towards the MCU.
The 39 year-old has joked in recent months that she’ll be getting jacked to play the franchise’s new God of Thunder, but in a new interview, Portman revealed that no matter how much muscle she packs on, there’s always the chance that she could look ridiculous standing next to the massive Chris Hemsworth, who appears to be bigger than ever and so ripped that he’s about ready to burst.
“Oh, Chris, we gotta get you some spray tan. It’s a lot of pressure. I’m gonna look like this little grandma next to him.”
Obviously, nobody’s expecting the relatively slight Natalie Portman to show up on set with massive biceps and eight-pack abs, but taking the mantle of Thor from such a physically imposing co-star comes with a unique sense of pressure. After all, fans have grown to love Hemsworth in the decade he’s been part of the MCU, and while he may still be sticking around for a bit after the credits roll on Love and Thunder, his adventures could take him literally anywhere in the galaxy and leave Portman as the permanent defender of Asgard.