While you might think 2013's Thor: The Dark World was the last time we saw Natalie Portman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Oscar-winner actually had a cameo role in 2019's Avengers: Endgame.
Movie magic was used to make that a reality, with footage from the Thor sequel combined with ADR provided by the actor so her voice could be heard in the background. Reflecting on the experience of seeing herself in a movie she never actually stood in front of the cameras for, Portman told Variety with a laugh that, "It was very easy for me."
"I mean, it’s always amazing to see yourself, even if only for a split second, in a Marvel film, because you’re in places that you’ve never actually been before. It’s like seeing photos from a vacation that you never took or something."
Considering it looked like Portman had wiped her hands with the MCU after Thor: The Dark World, her comments are definitely a little surprising. Remember, it's believed she was extremely unhappy about Marvel Studios' "creative differences" with original director Patty Jenkins, and the trade asked for her take on the sequel being widely considered one of the MCU's worst movies.
"I mean, I had it with 'The Professional' too," she recalls. "It was slaughtered critically, and now, despite having been in Marvel and 'Star Wars' movies, it’s the main thing people come up to me about. That and 'Star Wars' are two examples of things that when they came out, I was like, 'Oh, my God, this is a disaster.' And then 20 years later - actually, 30 years later for 'The Professional' - it’s beloved."
Of course, Portman is now making her proper MCU return with Thor: Love and Thunder. There, she will transform Jane Foster into the Mighty Thor, but will the cancer storyline from the comic books be adapted? On the page, the scientist was revealed to be battling breast cancer, with each transformation making her condition steadily worse. That's a lot to squeeze into a two-hour blockbuster where she's co-starring alongside Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder.
Asked about the storyline potentially making it into the Thor: Ragnarok sequel, she responded: "How can I answer this in a way that will be not completely skirting it, but also not being..." Portman trailed off from there, but went on to discuss the duality of Jane and the Mighty Thor, explaining how becoming a superhero "might give you a different perspective on your human life."
Intriguing, eh? We'll see how this plays out, but we're definitely excited to see how the Mighty Thor factors into this blockbuster and potentially the MCU's future.
Thor: Love and Thunder is set to be released in theaters on July 8, 2022.