Eleven years after the release of the first instalment, Thor returns in Love and Thunder. The fourth Thor MCU movie was released on the 8th of July (United States) and will be available on Disney+ for streaming starting September 8th, and on Blu-ray and DVD on September 27th.

Thor: Love and Thunder marked Natalie Portman’s return to the franchise as Doctor Jane Foster, after her absence from Ragnarok. Here’s a quick spoiler-free review of the movie, followed by commentary on the performances of Natalie Portman and Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie), the two screen slayers from Thor: Love and Thunder.

©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

Although Love and Thunder received lower ratings from critics than the previous instalments, the general feeling about it from the fans was positive. The majority were excited about Jane Foster’s return as there was a feeling the character had a role yet to play in Thor’s universe.

However, when you think about what Thor as a character has been through during the events of Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, you’d find that there was a need for the new Thor to have different elements from those in the previous Thor movies, and some of these elements being more of a necessity for the progression of the story and to build up for following MCU movies. This might have reduced some of the factors that would give a movie a higher rating by critics, yet I believe the replacing factors will be appreciated in the next movies.

Once again, the casting at MCU is spot on. As the universe is expanding, the need for new faces to populate this expansion and replace the deceased characters (there has been a lot of those lately), grows. And it might be really hard to replace one beloved hero or even one hated supervillain. Thanos set the bar for villains pretty high. MCU villains can no longer be simple masked characters with destruction and evil as their only motives. Layered villains are what make stories more and more interesting. And casting Christian Bale for the role of Gorr the God Butcher was a great choice of someone who can portray this layered villain perfectly.

Love and Thunder is fast-paced and exciting, injected with comic exchanges and emotional moments that would leave the viewers pleased for the whole length of the movie. I’d recommend Thor: Love and Thunder to my readers.

The Screen Slayers

Natalie Portman as Doctor Jane Foster/Mighty Thor

(L-R): Natalie Portman as Mighty Thor and Chris Hemsworth as Thor in Marvel Studios’ THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER. Photo by Jasin Boland. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

Natalie Portman’s return to Thor was crowned by her becoming, not only Jane Foster, the adorable doctor Thor falls in love with, but the goddess of thunder herself. However, despite that being the factor under the most giant spotlight, in my opinion, it wasn’t the best thing about Natalie Portman’s performance in Love and Thunder. Her part in the story required the display of emotions and fears that are a bit new to the MCU. When and if you watch or watched Love and Thunder you’ll definitely see what I’m talking about. Let’s just leave it at this. With or without being the Mighty Thor, Natalie Portman perfectly portrayed a superhero. 9/10

Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie

Tessa Thompson as King Valkyrie in Marvel Studios’ THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER. Photo by Jasin Boland. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

We all met and loved Valkyrie in Ragnarok. After becoming the “king of new Asgard”, Valkyrie’s character is no longer the unlikely hero it was when it first appeared. The fictional title gave the character a responsibility. Tessa Thompson, like her character, also had a huge responsibility, as she became the first LGBTQ hero in the MCU. Of course, the writers shared a big part of both responsibilities. However, Thompson’s performance was exceptional and managed to give Valkyrie the splendour the writers gave her while exploring the character’s bisexuality. 9/10

(L-R): Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Natalie Portman as Mighty Thor in Marvel Studios’ THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER. Photo by Jasin Boland. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

The Natalie Portman Quiz

Put your knowledge of Natalie Portman under the test with this quiz!

The Natalie Portman Quiz

1 / 15

Natalie Portman graduated from Harvard. What did she major in?

2 / 15

Natalie Portman's character Jane Foster appears in only one non-Thor MCU movie. Which movie is that?

3 / 15

In what movie does Natalie Portman's character say the following line:

“All mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like. It's the only way we grow.”

4 / 15

Which 2008 film did Natalie Portman star in alongside Scarlett Johansson?

5 / 15

Natalie Portman featured alongside Hugo Weaving in what political action film?

6 / 15

Natalie Portman won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her work on which movie?

7 / 15

Natalie Portman's first movie was "Léon: The Professional" next to Jean Reno.  What year did this movie come out?

8 / 15

What aspect of Matilda's character from "Leon: The Professional" were Natalie Portman's parents concerned about letting their daughter play and had the filmmakers reduce the scenes where it appears?

9 / 15

For her role in which movie did Natalie Portman win Best Actress in the Academy Awards?

10 / 15

In what movie does Natalie Portman's character say the following line:

“Objects and artifacts last far longer than people, and they represent important ideas in history, identity, beauty.”

11 / 15

In what 2004 movie does Natalie Portman's character say the following line:

“Where is this love? I can't see it, I can't touch it. I can't feel it. I can hear it. I can hear some words, but I can't do anything with your easy words.”

12 / 15

18-year-old Natalie Portman featured in the movie adaptation of the Mona Simpson novel "Anywhere But Here". What was the name of her character?

13 / 15

In what movie does Natalie Portman's character say the following line:

“Hold me, like you did by the lake on Naboo; so long ago when there was nothing but our love. No politics, no plotting, no war.”

14 / 15

Natalie Portman is married to the French choreographer Benjamin Millepied. On the set of which movie did she meet her husband?

15 / 15

What science fiction franchise other than the MCU does Natalie Portman play a role in?

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Vanessa K

I love writing random thoughts and making people think and laugh.