Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi recently explained the rationale behind Jane Foster's ballet-inspired fighting style in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster.
Waititi discussed Foster's fight choreography, performed by star Natalie Portman, in an interview with Total Film. "You've got to play to people's strengths, and Natalie has obviously danced and done ballet and stuff," he said. "It's got kind of a feeling of dance when she fights. It’s very precise and smooth." Waititi's comments are an apparent reference to Portman's portrayal of ballerina Nina Sayers in 2010's Black Swan, a role which also drew upon the Israeli-born American actor's childhood ballet training.
As evidenced by the new Thor: Love and Thunder poster, Jane Foster's impressive fighting style is matched by her equally impressive physique. Unlike her previous MCU appearances, Foster now sports some serious muscle as the Mighty Thor incarnation of the God of Thunder. Her buff look is further enhanced by her sleeveless superhero costume, which is closely modeled on that of her male counterpart, Chris Hemsworth's Thor.
Jane Foster's newly-acquired martial prowess, muscles and outfit all come courtesy of Mjolnir, which has been reforged since its seemingly permanent destruction in 2017's Thor: Ragnarok. The hammer, which previously belonged to Thor himself, is apparently capable of at least one new ability since changing owners. As seen in the latest Thor: Love and Thunder trailer, Mjolnir can now break apart into a wave of missile-like shards capable of flooring anyone caught in its path.
Foster's transformation in the MCU was inspired by a similar long-running storyline kicked off by writer Jason Aaron and artist Russell Dauterman in the fourth volume of Marvel's Thor comics. Waititi has previously assured fans that Thor: Love and Thunder will do that story justice. "We stick pretty closely to Jane's storyline, and what happened to Jane... because that was such an influence on the film. We're trying to take the best parts of that."
This apparently extends to Foster's temporary tenure as the God of Thunder in the comics, as Waititi recently revealed that Natalie Portman won't remain the MCU's Thor for long, either. "I think a lot of fans are gonna potentially assume, 'Oh, OK, this is the passing on of the torch'... I'm not privy to any plans Marvel has for the future, but I don't think that's the case," he said.
Thor: Love and Thunder arrives in theaters on July 8.
Source: Total Film, via Twitter