Chris Hemsworth’s Thor character returns to the theaters in the new film Thor: Love and Thunder. In this installment, though, Hemsworth has company. The Marvel Cinematic Universe welcomes back Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, this time as The Mighty Thor, armed with Mjolnir.
But hold on, how is it really possible? Could it be that Jane isn’t a human? What happened to Mjolnir? Let’s go into the history of Jane Foster’s transformation into Thor.
Before that, let’s understand when did Thor stopped being Thor:
How Thor Became Unworthy in Marvel Comics?
Jane Foster’s transformation into a superhero required the removal of Arthur’s worthiness.
Fans of the Thunder god Thor know that he can call upon the elements and vanquish any foe with the help of his famous hammer, Mjolnir. The weapon’s power can only be wielded by people who have been declared “worthy,” or of good moral standing. (Captain America was deemed worthy to utilize Mjolnir in the film “Avengers: Endgame,” where it was used to aid in the defeat of Thanos.)
Yet Thor hasn’t always proven his worthiness. In the comic book event “Original Sin,” which took place in 2014, an evil Nick Fury whispered the words “Gorr was correct” into Thor’s ear, rendering him unable to wield his hammer. According to Gorr the God Butcher, gods are evil and don’t deserve their awesome power because they destroy universes.
Who is Jane Foster?
In the first two Marvel Cinematic Universe Thor movies, some viewers may have thought, “We know Jane Foster.” But the character’s comic book roots are completely different. Did you know that the first two times Jane appeared in the comics, she was introduced as Jane Nelson?
She worked as a nurse for Thor’s double, Dr. Donald Blake, and was relegated to the role of damsel in distress because she desperately desired Thor/Donald Blake without realizing that the two were the same person.
Donald Blake tells Jane he is Thor in Journey into Mystery #124. In the end, he makes the decision to bring Jane to Asgard. There, she undergoes a test of courage meant to determine whether or not she was worthy of being an Asgardian, wherein she ultimately fails. When she does, she forgets everything about Asgard and Thor, and instead falls in love with a human doctor named Keith Kincade.
In the comics, Jane and Kincade continued together for a while, but Thor and Sif eventually started dating. In the end, Jane and Kincade tie the knot and start a family. In the Thor comics of the late 1990s, she does become a doctor, and she spends most of the 2000s treating Team Cap during Civil War and serving with the Secret Avengers.
But hold on, we’ll go into much greater detail about how she becomes Thor, the Mighty, later on.
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Who is Jane Foster in the MCU?
The origin of Jane Foster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t nearly as confusing as it is in the comics, but it doesn’t make it any more interesting to see. Jane uses science to track down Thor; the two eventually fall in love, and Jane restores Thor’s honor. When Thor returns to Asgard and destroys the Bi-Frost, he forces a rift between them.
And in Thor: The Dark World, they were all back together again. However, Thor claims that the two engage in a “mutual dumping” between Avengers: Age of Ultron and Thor: Ragnarok.
Neither of the two previous Thor films knew how to handle Jane, and this is largely seen as one of the reasons for the films’ low standing in the MCU canon. Thor’s love interest is above-average, yet her only purpose is to motivate Thor to regain his superpowers. In the sequel, she serves no purpose other than to be the living embodiment of the Reality Stone.
It’s a shame, because her interactions with coworkers Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) are sweet and witty, and her thoughts on Einstein Rosen Bridges and wormholes have made her one of the most intelligent characters in the MCU.
How Jane Foster became the Mighty Thor?
Jason Aaron completely retconned Jane Foster’s character in the comics, making her considerably more interesting than she had been before. Jane lost both her parents when she was young; her mother to cancer and her father to a heart attack. She loses custody of her son Jimmy after the breakup of her marriage to Kincade, but he and she both perish in a vehicle crash.
Then, tragically, Jane is diagnosed with breast cancer as Thor Odinson is fighting Gorr the God Butcher. Odinson loses his ability to wield Mjolnir after Nick Fury whispers to him, “Gorr was right,” referring to the belief that no gods are worthy.
On the other hand, it is ultimately a woman who lifts it and assumes the role of Thor. Thor first doesn’t suspect Jane because of how sick she is, but he’s swiftly disabused of that notion when Jane reveals that she’s actually become The Mighty Thor.
When Jane uses Mjolnir as Thor, the cancer is expelled from her body, but the chemotherapy drugs that are helping her battle the cancer are also flushed away. That’s why she reverts back to her mortal state and worsens in health anytime she puts down Mjolnir.
It has been speculated that the cancer storyline from the Aaron run will be continued in Thor: Love and Thunder. On the other hand, there have been no rumors to date that indicate Thor would turn unworthy during the course of the movie. The conversation with Frigga gives him hope that he is still worthy, even at his lowest point in Avengers: Endgame.
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When did Jane Foster cease being Thor?
Taking up Mjolnir for the final time, Jane Foster set out to save Asgard (Thor’s homeworld) and vanquish the terrifying Mangog, a living, breathing representation of a billion beings slain by Odin. She faced death head-on, but she still prevailed over the MMangog.
“In this case, Jane was a regular person. A lady who risked everything to thwart you. In the 2018 issue “The Death of the Mighty Thor,” she remarked, “Remember that.””
Foster was reborn as a Valkyrior, a group of female warriors who protect the realm of Asgard, in recognition of her valor and devotion. When her time as Thor ended, the true God of Thunder once again took the title.
