Natalie Portman on Why She Wasn't in 'Thor: Ragnarok'

Natalie Portman shocked fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe during this year's San Diego's Comic-Con, when she appeared and it was confirmed she'd be returning for the fourth Thor installment. But unlike her previous role in the MCU, her character, Jane Foster, will now become the new Thor.

The 38-year-old actress recently dished about reprising the role with Entertainment Tonight, where she recalled, "They came to me with the idea and said, 'We have this idea for you that was a storyline in some of the comics where Jane becomes Lady Thor,' and I was like, 'This is very exciting!'"

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So thrilled to share the news with you today at #sdcc2019 that I’ll be returning to the @marvel #mcu as female Thor with legends @taikawaititi @tessamaethompson and @chrishemsworth. (Remember this as the before picture for when I get jacked)

A post shared by Natalie Portman (@natalieportman) on Jul 20, 2019 at 11:42pm PDT

Portman wasn't in the previous installment, Taika Waititi's fan-favorite Thor: Ragnarok, and she also just addressed her character's absence. "Obviously, I wasn't written into [Thor: Ragnarok] because of where it took place. It wasn't really on Earth, and my character is on Earth," she explained.

It was long rumored that Portman had a falling out with Marvel Studios after Thor: The Dark World debuted in 2013, which was only refueled when she stated in 2016 that she was "done" with the role, as far as she was aware. But when she stepped onto the red carpet for the Avengers: Endgame premiere earlier this year, she pretty much debunked that.

Thor: Love and Thunder is due to open in theaters on Nov. 5, 2021.