Natalie Portman has been in NYC this week to promote her feature-length directorial debut, A Tale of Love and Darkness. While she’s been talking up that film, she did get some awkward questions about her very quiet exit from Marvel’s Thor franchise. I don’t know if Natalie was only contracted for two Marvel films, but that’s not usually the way Marvel sets up their contracts, so I have my doubts. Whatever happened, Portman is out. We learned that back in April, when Portman wasn’t included in the cast announcements for Thor: Ragnarok, and Marvel said Thor was getting a new love interest played by Tess Thompson. When the Wall Street Journal asked Portman this week about her involvement with Marvel, she seemed to brush it off.
In what’ll come as a shock only to high school sweethearts in their first semester of college, Natalie Portman is probably done with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was already known that Portman, who plays astrophysicist Jane Foster, Thor’s earthbound love interest, wouldn’t appear in Thor: Ragnarok.
Now, Portman tells the Wall Street Journal that she’s been able to do what no Chris before her has ever done: leave the MCU. She said: “As far as I know, I’m done.”
From Portman’s comments, her absence in the latest Marvel movies (she hasn’t been seen since Thor: The Dark World) seems to have more to do with a lack of a demand for her character than with Portman’s disinterest in the part.
She explained that there’s always a chance of her return a million Marvel movies in the future, but she doesn’t think it’s likely. “I don’t know if maybe they’ll ask for an Avengers 7 or whatever. I have no idea, but as far as I know I’m done,” she said. Sure she sounds casual now, but boy is it gonna sting when Thor brings the Hulk home for Thanksgiving this year.
Her absence “seems to have more to do with a lack of a demand for her character than with Portman’s disinterest in the part.” LOL. As I said back in April, Portman and Chris Hemsworth had zero chemistry together and Jane really was unpopular in the Marvel universe. My guess is that she did have additional films left on her Marvel contract and Marvel was like, “Yeah, no thanks.” Which is fine, she’s got other stuff on her plate. But it’s still sort of funny to me.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
Yeah I didn’t like her character. I also didn’t like Kat Dennings character, especially in Thor 2. The Thor/Jane romance was always the weakest part of the movies for me. Also, I’m Team Sif… sooooo…. there’s bias. Haha!
I raise my Team Sif banner with you.
I’m Team Sif too! Love her character, and she would be a good match for Thor. Jane was just…boring. And Darcy was fun in the first movie, but not the second.
I’m totally team sif but I actually really liked kat’s character (and I hate two broke girls).
Also Team Sif and Team “I hope I never see Darcy again.” Jane was kind of an annoying character to me in the comics, and her portrayal in the MCU was a snorefest. So glad that is behind us.
Darcy Lewis is basically the Jar Jar Binks of the MCU. Hopefully with Jane gone, she won’t show up anywhere either.
“Darcy Lewis is basically the Jar Jar Binks of the MCU.”
HAHAHAHAHA! So true. They relied on her for too much comic relief in Thor 2. And I dislike her style of comedy.
Since they’re married in the original Nordic mythologi I have always been #TeamSif. I never liked Jane either so I’m glad she’s not in the next movie.
I think Jane could have been interesting with a more charismatic actress. She could have been this Scully-esque hard science nerd with a goofy Norse god boyfriend, but instead we got a flat romance with no sparks.
Natalie seemed so over it and above everything. Even Kat Dennings had more chemistry with Hemsworth!
Yes, an actress with a personality (any personality) could have sunk her teeth into that role.
Agreed!
Yes yes and yes. Natalie has always been a boring actress (well at least to me anyway) and the role of Jane is quite an interesting role, if the right kind of actress had been cast.
I think Natalie only took the role to work with Kenneth Branagh (and maybe the money) – being the pretentious twit that she is she would have thought that working with him would improve her cred. KB is a great actor and a good director but with questionable casting decisions.
She was soon boring in that movie. Loved kat Dennings in the thor movies tho. Adorable and sassy.
Good. She was dull in the role.
Natalie never gave off a fun, great sense of humor vibe. She is very dour and overly serious in all the movies I’ve seen of her. I don’t think she meshed with the Marvel world.
She takes herself too seriously – she thinks she’s an artiste with an e.
I thought she tried to get out of the Marvel contract at some point? She always seemed disinterested in the whole thing.
I wonder why she took the role in the first place ? It doesn’t seem like her type of thing.
Maybe she wanted to work with Kenneth Branagh, who directed the first film. He seemed to elevate the movie (to me at least).
I just googled it and did find an article saying she took the role for Branagh.
http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/thor/news/a273990/natalie-portman-joined-thor-for-kenneth-branagh/
I’m guessing that she was friends with Kenneth Branagh. They could have done a lot with the hard science girl/Norse God combo, but she pretty much phoned in the part. Her sidekick and Stellan Skarsgard had to work overtime on the first movie to add any humor.
The same reason most of them do those movies. Money. To get other projects made. I hate to break anyone’s heart but few if any of them are doing comic book movies for love of the work. 😉
Probably because even natalie needs a big paycheck.
Thank the gods! Didn’t like her or Darcy. Thor needed someone with charisma and personality. That wasn’t Jane.
I think she should have showed up briefly for the 3rd film, I wonder how her absence is really explained via dialogue only that will sound good. And I liked Kat Dennings.
No one cared enough to ask.
Eh… I’m in two minds about it all. On the one hand, it sucks that they’re shelving 2 female characters (and I’m still pissed about Frigga being fridged).
On the other hand… perhaps Waititi + Marvel will utilize what would’ve been Darcy + Jane’s time to fully develop Valkyrie properly?
*Sitcom sarcastic voice* NO
Darcy was annoying to me and the chemistry between Hemsworth and Portman was zero. They seemed more like friends than potential lovers.
I like natalie but she was awful in thor!
She never fit in those movies.
This is more for the blake livelys out there.
Kat dennings would have been great as thors love interest.
Natalie never seemed truely into her character, she did it just for the money. Shes the only one who brings home the big paychecks so…
She and Hemsworth had zero chemistry. To me she has always been a very stiff, flat actress. She always seem like someone with absolutely no sense of humor who takes herself way too seriously.
(Edit- just realized you said exactly the same about the chemistry.)
I guess I’m the only weirdo here that really liked Jane Foster and Darcy and the intern’s intern. I thought that Thor and Jane had pretty good chemistry. I thought it was awesome that he seemed to be super interested in her, not because she was pretty, but because she was curious, smart, and independent. I always thought it was weird that Natalie Portman was originally cast, but I will miss her in the movies.
I like Natalie Portman too and the Thor movies but they didn’t have any good female characters. Frigga was barely in the first movie and was killed off in the sequel, Jane and Darcy was just there, I don’t think Thors new love interest will be interesting either.
She was never interested in the part. She took the first film because of Kenneth Branagh and was very open about not wanting to do the second film. She couldn’t get out of the second film for contract reasons, but there was never a thought that she would no more films after that. Her contempt for the films was palpable and unhidden.
I only like Kat Dennings in the Thor flick. I thought she was hilarious and saved the movie from Portman’s lack of character. I thought Stellan Skarsgard’s character was stupid. Really? Naked? I hate that Jerry Lewis schtick stuff. Being stupid and humiliating yourself does not equal humor. I was embarrassed for him.
I’ve enjoyed Portman’s acting in many films – just not Thor. She wasn’t a good fit. There is always this element of “smart nerd” in super hero girlfriends’ characters. Time to move away from that a bit. The superhero’s aren’t educated intellectuals, so why do they always pair them up with a female that is? I guess it’s suppose to be an opposites attract kind of chemistry, but it’s dumb. For once, I’d like to see a super hero hook up with a super hot, anything goes woman.
@JenniferJustice….::cough:: Nerd alert here. Nerd alert. I wouldn’t generalize like that. A lot of the comic book relationships are much deeper than you are making them when you get into the source material. And yes, some of the superheroes ::are::: intellectuals. Yes, the onslaught of Marvel movies and superheroes in general (and poorly made movies on the DC side) has made this not as clear but it’s actually more complex?
Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson grew up together. Mary Jane came from an abusive home. She wanted to be an actress/model. She had a complex relationship with her abusive family and Peter Parke was a respite from that abuse. MJ wasn’t really an “smart nerd”–she was a girl from the wrong side of the tracks looking for a home and someone who would treat her well. Also, Peter was very smart.
Lois Lane was the original comic book love interest but calling her a “love interest” has never been fair because she actually debuted alongside Superman in Action Comics #1 in 1938 as his partner. The two characters were literally created together. Lois was brilliant but she was also a working woman in an era where women were NOT ENCOURAGED TO WORK. So she was this woman who refused to go home and play housewife and that defined her character for 75 years WAY before it was popular for other franchises to follow suit. Clark Kent actually ::is:: really smart despite the way recent DC movies have portrayed him. He’s also, in canon, rather shy and an admirer of brave people. So when he met Lois Lane…he instantly fell in love because she didn’t have his physical privilege but was willing to put herself on the line for injustice. She was reckless and willing to do anything and he was often reserved. And she was BETTER than him at reporting (a job they both LOVE and are passionate about in the source material) even though she had ZERO abilities. Also, though she’s beautiful, the fact that she’s not “the hottest woman in the world” AND is often portrayed as older than him/more sexually experienced was actually really rare. The quote is “Lois Lane is Clark Kent’s Superman.”
The over saturation of superhero movies and the way they all lift things from each other has sort of confused a lot of this now? But some of the most famous comic book romances have always been a LOT deeper than just “oh opposites attract.” Franchises like Superman and Spider-Man were actually built on the foundation of the love story in ways that were actually kind of innovative because they weren’t the usual franchises were it was “new love interest every movie—revolving door of women.” Our current crop of superhero fascination has sort of lost sight of some of this because they are so focused on world building and now the superheroes only ever interact with each other. But…yeah. ::slips off glasses:: Nerd Rant over. #sorry LOL
LOVED THIS!!!
ETA: AND the post below 🙂
Ok I’m about to throw down some serious nerd stuff here so look away, friends if you don’t want to be infected by it.
Outside of the fact that Portman just never seemed interested in these movies, the major problem is related to what I said above about some of these franchises trying to lift things from other franchises but not really getting WHY or HOW they work. Jane Foster, in this context (and not as THOR herself as she is in the comics) was never going to last in the live action series for a few reasons….
Jane Foster is not ACTUALLY, historically, Thor’s major love interest. She’s in there but, over the years, she actually was more well known for a relationship with another man than she is with THOR. But I think what happened was that Marvel was trying to do the “mortal/god” thing (because people do tend to like that) without realizing that in THIS particular franchise…it just doesn’t work. Why is that? BECAUSE THOR IDENTIFIES AS A GOD. He does not belong on Earth. He has no secret identity on earth. His home is as a god.
Thor is not Superman. People joke and compare but outside of both being beefcakes who are strong the similarities end there. People say that Superman is a “god” but, and this is key, CLARK KENT does not see himself that way. CLARK KENT was raised by farmers in Kansas. Clark Kent went to public school and to college. Clark Kent dreams of marrying a HUMAN woman and raising babies with her. Clark Kent LOVES working at the Daily Planet because he genuinely believes that journalism can shine a light on injustice and challenge the human spirit in a way that punching out a villain cant. Clark Kent identifies as one of us. He doesn’t see himself as “above” us and that’s part of what makes Superman so great when he’s done right. At the end of the day, Clark Kent is just a really great, amazing guy who happens to been born on another planet and he spends his life devoted to the planet that took him in and adopted him. He’s the ultimate adoption story. But THOR….doesn’t need to be adopted by EARTH.
Clark Kent is always going to be defined by a love story with a human woman because that’s who Clark Kent is. He’s one of us and we’ve adopted him as ours. THOR does not identify as one of us. But Marvel tried to turn his story into this “god falls in love with mortal” thing not really getting that….that’s not his story? Thor does not marry Jane in the comics. He’s married to Sif. And most of his stories are these out of this world outlandish adventures. Whereas, the best Superman stories tend to be set at the Daily Planet and can be about corruption on a human scale. (See: “Lois and Clark: The New ADventures of Superman.”
Marvel tried to treat THOR like Superman and it just didn’t work. That’s my nerd take and I’ve thought this from the second I saw the first movie. Because, eventually, Thor is going back to Asgard. Clark Kent goes back to Kansas. See the difference?
@ Kathleen, well done. Such interesting posts!
(is she really walking around like that? )
(or is it for a commercial or something?)
(she looks ridiculous)
Ah, that’s too bad. I thought she was a lot more likeable in Thor 2 than in Thor 1 — more dorky scientist, less dippy love interest — and I would have been happy to see more of her.
I suspect this has more to do with the corporate interests thinking only the menz make interesting characters, though.
YAY.
*Tessa Thompson*
She’s too good an actress to mess up her name.
it wasn’t just her – the part is almost insulting. Here is this educated scientist that has to be saved again and again. The damsel in distress thing didn’t work for me at all.