Natalie Portman will be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder, which came as a surprise when the actress had never seemed particularly enthusiastic about her role in the franchise. Not only is Jane Foster coming back, though, but she’s set to wield the power of Mjolnir, in what marks a drastic turnaround from her previous character arc.
Portman is one of the best actresses out there, but she was completely wasted in Thor and The Dark World as a painfully one-dimensional and underdeveloped love interest, and her impact in the grand scheme of things can be summed up by the fact that nobody missed her in the slightest when she wasn’t involved in Ragnarok.
However, now that the 39 year-old is once again under the Marvel Studios banner, you’d imagine she’ll have much more to do in Love and Thunder after agreeing to make a comeback, and won’t just be playing the object of Thor’s affections once again. In fact, a new fan theory claims that it won’t be Jane Foster, but another returning MCU veteran that will become the Odinson’s latest love interest in the fourth installment.
You see, not only has it been made clear in the MCU that Thor and Jane’s relationship is well and truly over, but the God of Thunder and Lady Sif have a long history in the comic books that has often veered into romantic entanglement. Waititi has teased lots of romance in the upcoming blockbuster, and with Jaimie Alexander heavily linked to the project, they could continue the story thread hinted at in the first two movies that Thor and Sif weren’t just companions in battle.
As ScreenRant explains:
Sif being secretly jealous of Jane is right in line with the comics. Marvel could continue following the comics by having Thor look to Sif now that his relationship with Jane is over. Thor didn’t have a romantic interest in her before, but his character has evolved and grown so much over the years, that it could be he’ll view Lady Sif in a new light when they meet again. If so, her feelings could finally be returned for the first time. Also, Thor 4 director Taiki Waititi has described his script as “very romantic”, so Thor finding love again does seem quite plausible. If Thor: Love and Thunder moves in this direction for the two characters, it could help bring his story to an end. As previously noted, the two getting together in the Silver Age was followed by a series of cosmic adventures. Thor traveling the universe with the woman he loves could be how Marvel ends the franchise on a happy note.
Of course, Alexander wouldn’t mind seeing Sif become Valkyrie’s queen, either, and with the member of the Warriors Three having been absent since The Dark World, there are countless ways she could be written into Thor: Love and Thunder that don’t even need to connect to the title hero.
