‘Thor: Love And Thunder’: Who Is Mighty Thor? Comics And MCU’s Portrayal Of Jane Foster’s Superhero Avatar Explained
I have grown up reading Marvel comic books and watching their movies and am obsessed with the characters, the storylines, the intricacies, and every other aspect of them. So, it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’d be all over the Thor: Love and Thunder movie, especially now that the trailer has been released. It’s hilarious, and why wouldn’t it be? Taika Waititi is a genius! NGL, I’m hella excited for the movie, and Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher, but what I’m really waiting to watch is the Mighty Thor or Lady Thor!
Thor: Love and Thunder marks the return of Natalie Portman’s character, Jane Foster. Now, for the most part, we’ve seen Jane Foster playing a romantic sidekick, a damsel in distress, and Thor’s personal motivational speaker. But in this instalment of Thor, she’s back with a whole new superhero avatar – Mighty Thor – that definitely suits her. (Finally!).
Also Read: ‘Thor: Love And Thunder Trailer’: First Look At Christian Bale As Gorr The God Butcher Gave Us Chills. Literal Chills!
But the question that I saw doing the rounds was who is Mighty Thor? And how does she play into the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe? Well, don’t worry, the geek in me has you covered.
Who is Mighty Thor?
Let’s start with the comics because, in the chicken and the egg analogy, the egg comes first.
Who Is Might Thor In The Comics?
‘The Mighty Thor’ comics written by Jason Aarons show Jane Foster (played by Natalie Portman in the MCU) being diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing severe chemotherapy. However, due to a turn of events, Foster finds herself being able to lift the Mjolnir which makes her stronger than ever. Yep, it is the hammer that literally transforms her into a God.
With the hammer in her hand, Jane Foster becomes the powerful Mighty Thor. Her powers include super-strength, durability, and stamina. Now, her control over the lightning is not the same as the son of Odin’s but she’s definitely able to use the Mjolnir way better than the others. But there’s a catch – the moment she stops being Mighty Thor, she returns to her cancer-filled dying body.
Also Read: Natalie Portman Unveils New ‘Thor: Love And Thunder’ Poster, Chris Hemsworth’s Punny Comment Leaves Us In Anticipation
Now, the sad thing is that the comic storyline is really heartbreaking as Jane Foster only picks up the hammer because she thinks it’s her duty to protect others – especially when Thor himself is absent. (For those wondering what happened to Thor, long story short, he becomes unworthy of lifting the hammer.)
No lunch is free and so the price Jane Foster has to pay to become the Mighty Thor is that her transformation is so deadly that every time she suits up, her cancer spreads even more rapidly.
Spoiler Alert: For those who really were waiting to know how Thor and Jane end up – well they don’t. Yep, it is a sad ending to another MCU love story.
Is Mighty Thor Different In The MCU?
Starting off, the MCU established back in Avengers: Endgame that anyone, regardless of their origin, can pick up the Mjolnir if they are worthy. I still feel goosebumps thinking of the scene where Steve Rogers as Captain America picks it up! So, it really isn’t a surprise to see Jane Foster also being able to do the same. Those wondering what Thor’s weapon is – remember Stormbreaker from the Avengers: Infinity War? Yep, that’s it.
Now, of course, we have no idea how much Taika Waititi, the director of Thor: Love and Thunder, will follow the comic storyline and in what direction he will take the character of Mighty Thor. But one thing is clear, they will have some explaining to do as to how Jane Foster ends up finding the hammer, especially when Captain America returned it with all the infinity stones to their correct timelines.
Also Read: Asgard’s New King Valkyrie And Jane Foster AKA Mighty Thor Come Face-To-Face In New Image From ‘Thor: Love And Thunder’
But I’d say, we still have hope, because ever since Loki, the MCU has introduced multiverses. That means that the Thor and Jane Foster aka Mighty Thor we see in Thor: Love and Thunder might be Thor and Foster from a different multiverse. I mean, that would easily explain why she still has the Mjolnir right? When it comes to MCU, you can never really be sure. However, I’m super excited to see what becomes of Mighty Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe!
Thor: Love And Thunder releases in theatres on July 8, 2022.
