thor ragnarok

Puny Human Natalie Portman Won’t Be in Trippy Space Sequel Thor: Ragnarok

Bye, Jane! Photo: Jay Maidment/Marvel

Natalie Portman, who played Thor’s earthbound love Jane Foster in Thor and about ninety percent of Thor 2, is not coming back for the third installment. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige confirmed the long-rumored news on the Empire podcast (about 50 minutes in), saying that the Oscar-winning actress would be out of Thor: Ragnarok for “many reasons, many of which are in the film.” According to Feige, only a few scenes in Ragnarok will take place on Earth, while “80 or 90 percent takes place in the cosmos,” which isn’t exactly hospitable to doe-eyed astrophysicists. Plus, with Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, and Mark Ruffalo set as the leads, plus a stellar supporting cast in Tessa Thompson and Cate Blanchett, there isn’t much room for Portman in the first place. Portman was none too pleased about doing Thor 2 after Patty Jenkins left, so this probably isn’t a big loss for her either. Though if she was really cagey, Portman could have tried to pull a Charlize Theron, only bringing back Jane for a cameo, but getting paid as much as Hemsworth for the film.

Natalie Portman Won’t Be in Thor: Ragnarok