Taika Waititi reveals how he convinced Natalie Portman to return in Thor: Love and Thunder

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"Her character in those first two [Thor] films is probably not the most exciting version"

Thor: Love and Thunder
(Image credit: Marvel)

Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi has given fans a taste of how he tempted Natalie Portman back into the MCU fold as Jane Foster.

Speaking to Fandango, Waititi explained that his previous Marvel movie, Thor: Ragnarok, has helped convince those thinking about teaming up with the director in Love and Thunder.

"What we did with Ragnarok – it made these movies appealing to other actors," Waititi said. "Christian [Bale] saw that and he was like, 'I want to do something fun'… and Natalie too."

"She just wanted to make sure… I don’t know how to say this, but her character in those first two [Thor] films is probably not the most exciting version of the female character we want from these films," Waititi said. "I had to just talk to her about the fact we had to change that character just like we’d changed Thor’s character for Ragnarok and to give her a bit more license to be adventurous and fun. Natalie’s a really funny person and sometimes those sorts of things are not the main focus."

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.